Go The Distance
by Teya Yashitoda
Summary: How far would you go to stay with the person you love? Dib seems to be willing to cross the entire country and the stars to stay with Zim. But will Zim let him? ZADR, Rated T for now, OCs in later chapters. WIP
1. Prologue 1: Dib's Journal

Title: Go The Distance  
Pairing: Zim/Dib (Its gay-love. Don't like, don't read. Only warning.)  
Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, don't own. If I owned it, I would probably stuff WAY more slash into it. D Lol  
Summary: Zim runs from his old town, looking for a new life. But being left behind doesn't suit Dib and he goes off to find the one person/alien who ever cared.  
Warnings: None for this chapter.  
Author's Note: Well... I guess this is a new story. The first chapter story that I'm going to try to write... Ever. I probably won't update regularly and I'm sorry. But, for now, I have the two prologue chapters written, as well as chapter one. Hurrah! This will be my labor of love, I'm sure. Dear God... I don't even know why I'm putting this up. I'll lose inspiration in less than three days. Please forgive any spelling errors; I beta this myself (which basically means spell check! Woohoo.) Oh, and a lot of this will be OOC. Sorry, again. Well, please enjoy "Go The Distance" and yes, that is the song from Hercules. I like it, ok?!

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_Dear Diary,_

_I am so amazingly bored right now, mostly because Zim hasn't been up to his usual antics today. Ugh, I hate Fridays… Y'know how must people hate Mondays? Well, Monday is my favorite day; it means the weekend is over and believe me, weekends pretty much suck for an anti-social loser like me._

_Speaking of Zim, his disguise is pretty much perfected by now. He finally got over that bad Elvis wig and now has kind of emo-looking hair. He normally wears dark jeans and a variety of shirts. I guess he learned the joys of human clothing, eh? (Insert sarcastic chuckle here.)_

_I've been thinking lately and I've come to this conclusion: A lie is a lie, no matter what context it's in or who believes it. Even if the one who told it believes it's the truth, it's still a fabrication; something to keep you comforted in the lonely nights. But… if everyone believes it but one person, does that make it the truth?_

_I suppose that can't be true. Everyone believed the world was flat at some point. Yet one man said it was round. Crazy, they called him. His idea was stupid; there was no way that could be true. Frickin' Columbus was an effing lunatic._

_And now, long after he's dead, it's a universal truth._

_That isn't fair! I've been telling them Zim's an alien since __Fifth Grade__. And still they refuse to listen! Honestly, what's the point in warning these idiots of their impending doom and thwarting his plans, day in and day out? It's maddening! They're the kind of people that DESERVE to get enslaved. Really, what's the point? Mind telling me? Agh, never mind, I know you can't really tell me. And that's the limitation of talking to a book._

_Oh, what now? Frickin'… Zim just threw me a note. I better read it or he might make a ruckus. I'll finish this later._

_Dib Membrane_

_

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_A/N: Well... there's prologue one. Prologue two will be up in a few minutes... 


	2. Prologue 2: Zim's Log

Hello again! It's Teya, with prologue numero dos! (Or, for those who are spanish-imparied, prologue number two.)

So... Here's the deal. Every three reviews, I'll try my best to put up another chapter. If I get five or more, I'll update no matter how badly my inspiration is gone. ;D

Starting at this point, I suppose I'll have to warn you that some chapters will imply sexual... things. There's nothing graphic (yet) so it'll remain as a T-rated story. However, in the next chapter, if you honestly think that it should be bumped up to M, then I'll do so...

Again, no beta. Sorry if there are mistakes.

But, for now, here's prologue two of "Go The Distance"!

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Log 2,467; 14:06 PM, Monday, October 1, 2007 

**The Dib-human is distracted today, more so than normal. He has done nothing but sulk and write in that blue notebook all day; there has not even been an attempt to expose Zim! The Dib-filth is planning something; I can feel it. I will take his plans for capturing Zim and rip them up! And then I'll turn this planet into-**

**Who am I kidding? Zim isn't an idiot. He knows when he's been beaten…. It has been three years since I've been banished to this filth-hole of a planet. Well… really, three years, four months, nine days, five hours, six minutes, four seconds, and ninety-three milliseconds. And going up. Each day I spend here gets worse and worse. I keep up the silly plots of world domination simply to keep myself and the Dib-worm occupied.**

**Tonight. It must be tonight. I will leave this town and go somewhere else. It has become far too dangerous to remain here any longer. My people will be exposed as an alien race if I allow my game with the Dib-human to continue.**

**I found a small town in the state called "Michigan." It's mostly rural and has barely any technology to speak of; most unlike this country's big cities like Chicago and New York. It's also by a lake (although the lake is probably contaminated by this world's filth.)**

**The Dib-human is probably getting suspicious. Zim hasn't proclaimed his amazingness all day! Best do so now… Pretend as if I'm not plotting. I'll annoy him… for the last time.**

**End of Log 2,467; 14:19 PM, Monday, October 1, 2007**

**

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**A/N: Please review now! ;D I would love you forever! -heart- 


	3. Chapter 1: Now Or Never

Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim or any references to anything else by Jhonen Vasquez. Nor do I own any songs that will appear occasionally. I am making no money off of the writing of this fanfiction.

THIS IS MY ONLY DISCLAIMER FOR THE REST OF THE STORY.

As promised, here is Chapter 1 of "Go The Distance." D The chapter name, "Now Or Never," is actually a song by Josh Groban. I though it fit. Most chapters are going to have song titles as their "name."

WARNING: Angst and sexual implications. If that makes you uncomfortable, then I'm sorry. You shouldn't be reading my story, though, because there will be a lot of them.

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CHAPTER 1: NOW OR NEVER

The note landed with a soft "thump." Dib looked at it warily, and then finished writing his journal entry. Zim watched him with thinly-veiled interest; what was the human writing? Probably blueprints. Dib wrote in that blue notebook every day, for some reason. Zim made a mental note to steal the thing as soon as possible. Thin his antenna drooped a little underneath the wig.

What would be the point?

Dib hesitantly opened the note and almost snorted in amusement. Typical Zim. It read, **Dib-stink! Zim is bored. Amuse me!!!** Dib shook his head and wrote something underneath the large words, then threw it on Zim's desk.

_Why should I?_

Zim pouted and glared over at the boy, who was smirking back evilly. Zim bared his teeth in a silent growl and wrote something quickly. This should convince the Dib-filth to talk with him!

**Because you're bored too, human. I have an idea for you: stand on your desk and admit that you're completely crazy! Everyone will be so shocked that school will be let out early! Or you could talk to Zim, which would be much less humiliating. ZIM IS AMAZING!**

Dib slumped in his seat when the note came back. Zim was right; he WAS bored. Damn that alien. Sighing in defeat, he scribbled something so it was barely legible, and then threw it at Zim's arm in annoyance.

_What do you want to know?_

Zim grinned in victory, shifting his eyes to Dib in an, "Ha-ha-I-win" look. Dib shifted further down, trying to make himself invisible. Zim: 1, Dib: 0. If this kept up, he would be on the floor and cowering under his desk.

**Tell Zim what you were writing in that notebook.**

Dib paled visibly when he read the note. Time to curl up in a fetal position, it seemed. Why was Zim asking? _He better not try to steal it!_ Dib thought worriedly. After all, he didn't what Zim reading about his personal thoughts. Especially since said thoughts were sometimes about the alien.

_Nothing important. Why are you asking?_

Zim examined this and immediately knew the human was lying. The way his face had lost all blood when the Irken had asked basically proved that it was something. **Because I was intrigued. And it's obviously something. If it was nothing you would have let Zim read it. So… May Zim read it? Please?** After writing down his response, he drew a tiny heart with fangs and angry eyes. Chuckling, he threw it at Dib's head, hitting the mark perfectly. How could he miss such a blatantly large target, after all?

Dib rubbed his head and glared at Zim as if it had actually hurt him. He opened up the folded piece of paper and made a small "hmph" noise of suppressed laughter at the sight of the heart. Why did that heart send strange flutters through his stomach?

Blushing, he wrote something down in a hurry. _No… It's none of your business._ Dib paused, wondering if he should write more. Deciding to take a chance that the alien hadn't learned anything from his prolonged stay on earth, he wrote, _It's just a journal. No one reads it but me._ Another pause and then he crossed out the heart and drew a picture of a demented smiley face wagging a "no-no" finger. He threw the note at where he thought Zim's antenna were and waited.

Zim blinked as it bounced off his head. The Dib had missed badly; his antenna were tucked behind his fake ears. Poor Dibbers, always failing when it came to Zim…

**Ah, a diary. Don't female worm-babies normally write in those?**

Dib groaned softly. How the hell did Zim know that? When did he get so in-tune with human pop culture?! Damn that alien twice over! Without thinking, he scribbled something down and threw it at Zim's fake ear.

_No, Zim, it's a __journal__. And not only girls use them. It's a good way to let out your feelings. Why the hell do you want to read it so bad, anyways?_

Zim almost gasped aloud when Dib accidentally hit his hidden antenna with the ball of paper. Well, maybe Dib didn't fail all the time… A rush of warmth went through his system; how often were his antenna touched, if at all? The Irken rubbed the area in annoyance, sending a glare Dib's way.

**I want to see it now! Give in to the Almighty Zim! You know you wrote about me in there. About how much you luuuuv Zim…**

Dib was spared the need to answer when the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. He stood up, gave Zim an evil stare, and stalked out of the classroom like an offended cat. The alien simply sat in his seat, blinking in surprise. Had he made the human angry? How? Shrugging, he left with Ms. Bitters saying, "Have a doomed day, Zim, and don't be late tomorrow. Or I'll be forced to send you to the underground classroom." The Irken shivered. Man, that lady was creepy! Almost as bad as the scary neighbor lady.

Zim walked home slowly, his feet dragging slightly as he lost himself to his thoughts; Why had the Dib gotten so angry today? It was bothering him immensely. He decided to sneak into the human's house tonight before he left…

* * *

As night fell, Zim prepared to leave. He gathered his things together and put Gir into sleep mode until they reached their new home. Finally, after everything of value had been removed from the house, he retrieved the "house card." It was, in a sense, the seed that had made his house grow. Sadly, he looked upon the empty lot he had lived on for the past seven years. It felt like he was leaving part of his heart behind… 

Sighing slightly, he walked away from what had once been his home. It was strange how he felt such human things over a simple base…

His feet carried him to Dib's house for the last time, feeling nothing but muted depression. How many nights had he done this, without Dib's knowledge? How many times had he watched that pale chest rise and fall and thought how easy it would be to stop it from ever rising again? And how many times had he chickened out, saying it wasn't the "Invader" thing to do?

In honor of his last night in the nameless town, he had decided to wear no disguise. As risky as it was, he thought he owed it to Dib. And then he had wondered why he thought that at all.

Zim learned that hard questions rarely have an easy answer.

Ever sense he had grown an artificial pituitary gland on his skull to keep up with the Dib's height, he had found himself changing. His height, his personality, his emotions; everything that had made him Irken slowly turned human. Over the past three years, he had calmed down considerably and no longer ranted as much. Feelings began to become prevalent in his life; soon, he started feeling true happiness instead of feeling smug. He became depressed over his abandonment on the filthy planet…

Shaking himself out of his disturbing thoughts, he brought out his PAK legs and scaled Dib's wall, bringing himself to the human's (surprisingly) open window. Warily, feeling something was amiss, he stuck his head into the boy's room. Nothing happened; Dib was sleeping restlessly on top of his covers, wearing nothing but a tight pair of slinky black boxers. Soft whimpers came from him every few seconds; it was obvious he was having a bad dream. Zim felt blood rushing to his face, tinting it a darker green. Damn these human hormones! Now he was blushing! What next? Erections?!

Sighing, Zim scanned his ruby red eyes over the messy room. He was looking for the blue notebook (or Dib's backpack, considering he had put it back in there.) He made sure to avoid looking at the squirming boy on the bed. Where was-

Aha! There it was, lying on the boy's computer desk and looking innocent as could be. Zim wasn't fooled, though. Who knew what kind of plans the Dib had written in there for the Irken invader? Hesitantly, he reached out and touched the book, then instantly drew back his hand as he heard the human shifting. Zim ducked behind the desk and waited, not breathing; his PAK would take in the air if he needed it that badly. How strange; in the midst of all their differences, both humans and Irkens needed oxygen to live.

Dib sat up slowly in bed, a soft moan of waking up at – he grabbed the alarm clock aggressively – 3 AM getting to him in ways he didn't even want to think about. Especially not the fact that he now had a raging hard-on. Sighing harshly, he rubbed his forehead with two fingers. He didn't want to take care of the "problem," and yet it was getting increasingly painful.

He was trying to ignore the dream that had given him his "problem." But, unfortunately, trying not to think about it brings MORE attention to it.

_Soft green skin, like new leaves in the springtime, glistens in the moonlight. The sounds of the ocean they lie by washing over them with the pleasure of being one. Gentle caresses and whispered moans are the only thing heard and then two cries break the silence, the serenity of the night is shattered and suddenly everything's smoother, wetter, and they lie in the other's embrace. Lazy motions of holding each other and sighing happily seem to be seen and heard in a liquefied manner. The sun slowly begins to reach above the horizon and shines on Dib and-_

Dib shook his head, a blush rising to his cheeks. Shit. He had just had a dream about Zim. A _wet_ dream. It could mean nothing. After all, Dib's a teenager. It's mostly likely just hormones. Nothing more, nothing less.

It certainly wasn't the fact that Zim was-

_No! No thoughts like that, Dib. Baaad Dib, baaad. _He groaned aloud and flopped back onto the bed, resting a hand over his slowly closing eyes. There was no way he was going back to bed now, no matter how much he wanted to continue that dream. Might as well get rid of his problem. He let out a deep breath and sat up, slowly lowering his boxers down to his ankles…

Zim, on the other hand, was watching it all with widened eyes. Why was Dib doing that to himself? Was he attacking himself? The movements were jerky, as if he wanted to get it over with as fast as possible. Didn't that hurt? More blood rushed to his face as he realized what he was seeing the Dib-human do.

Suddenly, a soft cry, one the boy must have been holding in, escaped his full lips and the Irken almost gasped at the sound. It send his blood rushing to a completely different place, one he hadn't known really existed until just that moment.

Shit.

Zim squirmed awkwardly, quietly, trying to ignore the throbbing between his legs. Soon… Soon the Dib-worm would be going back to bed and he could steal that stupid notebook and leave. Leave and never-

Dib cried out again, a word sounding strangely like "Zim" coming from his mouth. That finished off the "little problem" quickly and efficiently. He cleaned himself up, fast, and fell back onto his bed, breathing deeply. Well. That was over, thank God… But why had he imagined it was Zim's hand and not his own?...

Crap. He really was crazy.

He curled into a little ball and, without further ado, fell asleep instantaneously. His "pleasure time" had gotten to him in more ways than one this time (mostly making him sleepy.) The thoughts were going to rest on his heart the moment he woke up; he knew that.

Zim waited for an hour (at least) to see if Dib would wake up again. Finally he let go of a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and stood back up, his back popping loudly. His eyes widened and the air he was taking in caught in his throat. Had the human heard? But no, Dib hadn't moved from his position at all in the last hour he had been asleep. The sun would rise in less than two hours; the alien was running out of time.

Without further ado, he grabbed the notebook and bolted from the room (which entitled throwing himself out the window and landing lop-sided with his spider-legs.) But before he left, he tore a page from the notebook and wrote something down quickly with a pen from his PAK. He took a stick and stabbed the piece of paper with it. Then he nailed it quickly into a tree using his spider-legs and fled for his new "home."

He fled from the human's home, from his old life, from his enemy.

From his confused, mixed-up feelings…

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The sun rose above the horizon, sweeping away the dusty shadows of dawn. The light from the golden orb in the sky shone directly into Dib's eyes and he groaned grumpily, turning on his side. Damn the sun! He hadn't wanted to wake up yet… 

Yawning and grumbling under his breath about the unfairness of it all, he sat up and rubbed his eye. Fumbling around, he finally managed to find his glasses and slip them onto the curve of his nose. He stood up and stumbled slightly; oh, great, today was going to be one of THOSE days.

Dib sighed and dressed quickly. His eyes moved quickly to the alarm clock on his bed-side table and sighed. It was seven in the morning. ON A SATURDAY. Today was going to suck, he was sure of it now.

Dib finally decided on the best way to get rid of his boredom and skipped merrily down the stairs. He made some SUPER TOAST (because if you live in the Membrane household, making anything else for breakfast was treason.) After buttering it up, he carried the piece of crunchy bread outside with him and began munching happily. It was time for his favorite past-time:

Spying on Zim.

Chances were Zim was planning something by now. Dib wanted to be there to laugh when it all blew up in the alien's face. It wasn't because he unconsciously wanted to save the alien from danger. Because if that was the case, then it was only to gloat about how stupid Zim was…

Right?

His feet skipped lightly over the sidewalk; he had walked there so many times before that it was basically instinct by now. His thoughts were occupied by different thoughts at the moment, thoughts that were turning his face a nice bright red as they continued down the worn path.

Why had he had that dream about Zim last night? So strange! It wasn't the first time but… It had really gotten to him this time. He had actually done something about it this time. He almost stopped in his tracks when a thought flew threw his mind.

_There's a thin line between hate and love, Dib-worm._

Zim had said that to him once when they were fighting. Dib couldn't even remember why he had said it but… it haunted him now, floating through his mind in impossible circles. _There's a thin line between hate and love._ What had he meant by that anyway…?

Ah, now he remembered. Zim and he had been body-to-body, forehead-to-forehead. Amber eyes pierced into anger-darkened ruby. Dib had been asking why Zim took orders from two complete idiots. Zim had replied, "Because it gives me great satisfaction." Dib snorted, pushing the alien back a bit. "Why, are you in love with them or something?" He had taunted and Zim's eyes had gone as cold as chilled blood. Dib was thrown onto the floor and the boy had cried out in shock. Zim had looked down on him and hissed:

"_There's a thin line between hate and love, Dib-worm._"

Dib shrugged, deciding that the conversation hadn't been about him in any way, shape, or form. Strange, though, that those words kept spinning through his mind like a tornado…

Finally, Dib was to the dead end that Zim resided in. He looked up, grinning at the-

Wait. _Wait_. Waitwaitwait. Something was wrong here. Something was _severely_ wrong here.

Zim's house was _missing_.

There was _nothing there_.

Dib stopped dead in his tracks. His amber eyes widened behind the large glasses he was wearing. Everything came to a screeching halt as he looked upon a flat space of dirt that once had Zim's house on it.

Zim was gone.

Stumbling, barely able to walk, Dib made his way to the empty lot. Everything began crashing around him; his life was suddenly looking more bleak than he had ever imagined it before. He stood before the fenceless plot, his mouth opened into a silent "o" of surprise.

Zim was _gone_.

Without a word, Dib fell to the ground, his knees giving away in the face of such an awful truth. His life had consequently flown out the window and into the stars.

_Zim was gone._

And the only thought that Dib could hear in his mind was a resounding, _No! Nonononononono…! NO!_ There had to be a mistake. The alien couldn't be _gone_. He wouldn't just up and leave like that…

He stood up shakily; perhaps Zim had left him something at home and he just hadn't noticed it? Yes, yes, that was it; Zim must have put something in his room, telling him not to worry, that he would be back soon and to give up on saving the world…

A strange, feverish hope coursed through his veins; it was all he had left now to rely on.

Dib ran faster than he ever had in his entire life. He practically fell over by the time he reached his front yard. Breathing hard, eyes large, going into shock; everything was dying around him. The sky was melting away, the clouds were clicking into place above his head. Two gold eyes darted to the tree and he almost collapsed. He slowly, so very slowly, moved towards the tall, proud oak and reached out a shaky hand to the note lodged into the trunk.

_Don't follow me. You won't be able to find me, where I'm going._

_Sorry Dib. The game is over._

"Zim…" Dib whispered, his legs giving out on him again in his anguish. He finally gave into the truth and clutched the piece of paper to his chest, tears coursing down his cheeks. He was completely unaware that it had begun to pour around him, raindrops soaking into everything, and washing away any last remainders of Zim's life…

How ironic, how perfect; the sky was crying with Dib.

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I am really sorry for the crappy one-liner at the bottom. I just couldn't help myself -sweatdrop-

As of right now, I have chapter 3 written and (mostly) editted.

Now, please review! ;D Thankies!


	4. Chapter 2: Where You Are

Hello again! I have finally updated. Sorry I took so long in getting this chapter out today. ;) Homework is a bitch. -pouts-

As of right now, I have chapter 3 done and edited up to the best of my ability. After chapter 3, though, I wouldn't expect regular updates anymore. But, as always, if I get five reviews, I'll write a chapter regardless of if I've lost inspiration or not.

This chapter is named after the Enya song, "If I Could Be Where You Are." Oh, and all OCs belong to me, so please don't steal them. I rather like Bria and Jess and will probably use them in other stories now.

In this chapter, you should see some things are very different from the show. This will all be explained later, however, so you'll just have to bear with me, here.

WARNING: Extreme angst and mentions of dream sex. Don't like, don't read. xD ((Why is the Author's note so freakin' long?!))

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CHAPTER 2: IF I COULD BE WHERE YOU ARE 

God, this was a boring town.

Zim walked through downtown Grand Haven, Michigan, his eyes moving back and forth between the little shops. He had moved here perhaps two days ago and for the moment, nothing was very interesting. Back home (his throat choked up when he thought of the town as "home") there was always something to do…

His violet-blue eyes flicked to a small coffee shop called Jumpin' Java. Outside sat a group of four teenagers: three girls and one boy. It was obvious the boy and the girl on his left were a couple; they sent each other glances and even had the audacity to kiss each other. The other two girls would exchange glances as well but in a more "Ewww, they're kissing" kind of way. Zim slowed down to a stop and watched the four giggle and gossip about random crap.

One of the girls, who was rather large, noticed him and immediately stopped talking. Nobody took notice, however, and finally the couple left, waving good-bye to their friends. They never once looked at Zim. But as soon as they had gone away, the girl leaned over to her friend and said something, her eyes darting to him nervously. The other girl, who was much thinner than her companion, looked back at him with the same uneasy expression.

Zim gave them a small smile and waved a little, then realized how creepy he must seem. A random boy just walking around and staring at people? No wonder they were freaking out! He decided to remedy this and looked at the street. He finally made his way across the main road and walked up to their table. The dark-haired girls both stared at him with mild puzzlement and polite confusion. The thin one could barely conceal the fear in her eyes but the larger one seemed much better at hiding her emotions.

"Hey." The big girl said softly, examining him quizzically. "Can we help you?" Her partner turned around quickly and gave her a small glare of worry. "Jess, calm down." She whispered as quietly as she could.

"Um… hello. I apologize for having stared at you. It's just…" Zim shifted on his feet awkwardly, suddenly very nervous under their stares. How much worse could this meeting get?! "I'm new around here." He said quickly, averting his eyes at the last second. God, this was embarrassing! And since was he such a pansy around girls, anyways? Perhaps it was the cool intelligence in their eyes, something he had never seen back home except in Dib…

"Oh, I see." The girl who had spoken first said, grinning widely. "No problem. My name's Brianne, but you can call me Bria, if that's easier for ya." She held out her hand, waiting for him to give his name.

"Oh, uh…" Zim coughed a bit, a blush spreading over his cheeks. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Zim." He took her hand and shook it lightly, surprised by her strong grip. Strange… Didn't most females on this planet have very little strength? He released the other's digits and gave an awkward smile.

"Nice to meet you too, Zim. And this is Jess. Don' worry, she's not always this quiet. She just got back from Basic Training and isn't used to seeing 'civilians' yet." Bria said, playfully nudging her friend's elbow. Jess just grinned and flicked her in the head. Pretending to pout angrily, Bria swatted away her finger. Zim's smile turned a little more honest; it was obvious these two were no great threat, at least not to him.

"Oh, Zim, I'm sorry, you must be tired of standing after _watching_ us for so long. Why don't you take a seat? We don't mind." Bria said wickedly, grinning up at him slyly. The blush returned full force and he chuckled lightly, sitting down next to Jess. Already this town was more interesting. Apparently he wasn't getting away any time soon. And perhaps he didn't really mind, in a way.

"So, where're you from?" Bria asked, looking him over. Zim recognized what she was really doing: sizing him up, watching his movements. For all her friendliness and polite conversation, it was very clear that she barely trusted him, if at all. He understood her wariness, though, and decided to leave it alone. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and a sad expression stole over his face for a fleeting instant.

"Pretty much the middle of nowhere." He said nonchalantly. "Y'know that town where Professor Membrane lives?" Both girls' nodded, their eyes growing large. A city boy, moving to _Grand Haven_? There was obviously something wrong with this picture.

"Wow. You came a long way…" Jess said quietly, looking him over as well. Her gaze wasn't nearly as critical as her friend's; she was simply looking at his appearance. And, from the small smile that graced her features, she liked what she saw. Zim wasn't quite sure he appreciated the attention but let it slide.

"Yeah." He shrugged and grinned lightly. "I met all sorts of interesting people." He laughed mentally; Dib could definitely be counted as "interesting." But thinking of Dib made him feel depressed again and he quickly shoved that thought away to the back of his mind. He rarely used his PAK to store information in these days; it was just a waste of time, since he had no one to send that knowledge to.

"So, why Grand Haven? Did your parents like the high school or something?" Bria asked, her auburn eyes finally gaining a bit of the warmth that her voice held. Zim began to feel admiration for this girl. It was obvious she was very protective of both her friend and herself. She was calm, cool, and collected, even in the face of potential danger.

A perfect actor.

"Parents? No, I… live alone." He said, then added, "Well, besides my dog, Gir… I've been eighteen for a month now and I just needed a place of my own." He laughed slightly, knowing it was fake-sounding, and feeling razor-sharp daggers digging into his heart. He missed his home right now more than ever.

"Wow! So, are you a senior, then? Or are you going to college?" The questions came from Jess this time. Zim turned his eyes to her and gave her a smile as well. It wasn't a real smile, though the girl took it as one and smiled back shyly. Bria's eyes became sharp and focused, zeroing in on Zim's tone and Jess's flirtation.

"Hmm? Oh, no, no, I'm a junior! I missed a year of middle school because of… an accident." He almost frowned at the thought. Stupid Dib and his para-stuffs. The two of them had been trapped in a time-space continuum for TWO MINUTES and suddenly they had missed a year of their lives.

"Ah. 'I see,' said the blind man." Bria said jokingly, which was obviously a hint for him to tell the story. Zim was beginning to like this girl more and more; her subtle way of suggesting things and the way she paid such close attention to everything he said.

But before he could even speak, a honk rang through the air. Both girl's turned to the parking lot behind him and frowned simultaneously. Zim spun around in his seat and saw instantly why they were frowning. A green van had pulled up and a short woman with extremely long brown hair was getting out.

"Jessica! C'mon, it's time to go home!" The lady called out, her voice richened with a heavy Italian accent. She was looking at Zim warily. When she realized he was staring back just as guardedly, she turned her gaze to her daughter, who was watching what could only be her mom angrily.

"Coming, mom!" She said loudly, standing up. Then she turned to Bria. "See ya, Brianne. Call me- oh, wait, you got that stupid choir thing tonight, huh? Never mind. Tell Jin I said hello." The large girl just grinned and waved her hand, as if showing how impatient her mother was to leave. Zim watched the exchange with curiosity. It seemed the two knew each other very well. Perhaps they were best friends? Zim shivered at the memories that thought brought.

Ugh. Keef.

Jess grinned at Zim and said, "Nice meeting you," before walking briskly to the van and getting in. The mother-daughter duo left quickly, her mom's voice floating back and asking, "Who was that boy?" Jessica's only reply was an exasperated sigh.

Bria groaned and put her head in one of her hands. Now she and Jess were probably screwed, since this would get back to her parents as well. It would be Jake all over again; the talk about how dangerous it was to trust strangers, too. Damn it.

"Er… Did I do something wrong?" Zim asked, looking nervous again. The girl had gone from strong to weak in nothing flat. It was obvious now how much of a wall she put up around people she didn't know very well. What a strange place this was! Every human seemed bright and intelligent, which made him begin to wonder about Dib's town. Everyone there was completely stupid and smitten with the professor.

Something felt very wrong here.

Blinking, she sat up straight again, bringing him back to the present conversation. Then she smiled, shaking her head. The dark brown locks with blonde streaks bounced merrily atop her head, reminding him of a certain someone and their scythe-lock…

"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just… Jess's mum is pretty protective of her. And, don't take offense to this, but I'd be pretty protective too if my daughter was talking to some creepy stranger." She winked and then laughed. Zim laughed too; it was nice to feel some form of happiness, even when all he wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die in his depression.

"Yes, yes, I know. Didn't I already explain it, though?" He said, still chuckling slightly. Bria was caught off-guard and looked at him strangely. Zim stopped laughing and it was his turn to blink. "I thought I explained why I was staring." He said, his brow furrowing slightly as he tried to remember. Bria shook her head again.

"All you said was that you were new and that doesn't really explain anything, does it?" Her eyes started to turn cold. The trust she had built up was beginning to topple over like a badly built building. _Why the hell are you being so nice, Bria? You don't even know what he's like!_ She scolded herself mentally. _Just because he's cute and _acting_ nice doesn't MEAN he's nice! Don't believe in people's good intentions right away like that! You'd think you'd learn after all the shit you went through like this…_

"Oh? I-I suppose you're right… Well," He said, his voice dropping to a near-whisper as he began leaning in closer, his eyes twinkling mischievously. She grudgingly moved forward as well, making sure to keep some distance between them. "If you want to know the truth… I just thought that you might be able to show me around town." Laughing lightly, he leaned back again; she had obviously been expecting something else and his answer surprised an embarrassed giggle from her.

"I guess I can do that… Where do you live? I can't today; I have a date in half an hour and I don't want to be late." Bria then looked at her watch and swore. "Sorry, not half an hour, ten minutes and I'm going to be late… again!" She almost blew up in frustration, then realized she must be making her new friend uncomfortable and laughed nervously, blowing away a stray strand of hair from her face. "I can pick you up tomorrow and show you the sights. Sound good?" She said, grinning as she stood up.

Zim watched the display of emotion with thinly-veiled amusement. This girl was obviously going to be a fun person to be around, no matter what the circumstances. He nodded at her last question and gave her directions to his house. She gasped dramatically and put a hand to her cheek when he told her the address.

"Really? I live, like, maybe three blocks away!" Bria laughed again and Zim realized that she seemed to do that a lot, which made him admire her even more. She laughed at everything (even in awkward situations, like now), was a good actor, and was amusing. Yes, this town was definitely MUCH more interesting…

"I see. Well," He said, sighing in a pretend-sad manner as he stood up. "I'd best be getting home. I've left Gir home alone for far too long now and I still have to paint the living room… I'll see you tomorrow, whenever you feel like coming to get me." He stretched his arms into the air, grinned, and waved good-bye before walking away without another word.

Bria watched him go, an expression of innocent curiosity crossing her face before she swore again and jumped into a blue car. Damn it, she was going to be really late now! It would take at least ten minutes to get across the bridge and into Muskegon with all the road construction going on…

* * *

Dib curled further into himself. He hadn't moved from his bed since Zim left and was feeling decidedly more and more sick. Where could the alien have gone? There wasn't a trace of him left; even his base was gone! 

The house was silent; not even the familiar noises from Gaz's GS3 were there. Professor Membrane and his daughter had left for a ceremony in the park hours ago. The mayor was having a celebration for his father. They were dubbing the nameless city as Membraneville, in honor of the Professor's many great achievements in science and acts of good-will towards the town.

The two had left Dib at home after he exploded at them and told them to "leave me the fuck alone!" Membrane had been shocked at his foul language but Gaz, in a rare moment of caring, had understood why he was so depressed and said, "Leave him to his emo-ness. Let's just go already. You're gonna be late."

Dib groaned softly in agony as another sharp pain went through his stomach; he had refused all food offered to him for the past two days and wasn't looking forward to school tomorrow. They would all ask him where Zim went and he wouldn't be able to answer. But the pain wasn't all physical; some of it was guilt and loneliness. Had he driven Zim away? Now that Zim was gone, what was he going to do? The Swollen Eyeball Network had kicked him out years ago and now… Now he had nothing to live for. No one to chase, no one to fight… Just nothingness.

While this realization had come to him earlier, it hit even harder now. He had known, deep down, that eventually their game would end; it had to. They were growing up and it was time to lay their childhood to rest. No more running around and messing up each other's plans. No more taunts about how ugly the other was. No more hatred and loathing. No one to beat up and get beaten up by.

But why did it have to hurt so fucking badly?

Keening like a small child, Dib uncurled from his ball and tears began to go down his face. They dribbled down his cheeks and landed on the soft comforter. Everything felt like it was being ripped at continually with a dull-edged knife, especially his heart.

There was nothing to heal him; Dib had been abandoned.

And the only one who could patch up the wounds was the person who had left in the first place.

_Stab, stab, stab_. The blade in his heart kept digging deeper and deeper. The salty liquid flowed faster now down his face as more and more pain entered his body. Only one question revolved in his mind now:

Why hadn't Zim taken him away as well?

Hours later (or perhaps only minutes,) the front door opened and the excited babbling of his father traveled up the stairs. Gaz would sometimes put in an apathetic, "Yeah" and "uh-huh" but that was it. Finally, when it seemed she couldn't take it anymore, she said, "I'm gonna go check up on Dib. Its not like him to be all depressed over something this stupid…"

That word echoed inbetween his question:

Stupid…

Stupid…

Stupid…

_Dib, you're so stupid…_

A choked sob left him and he barely registered the soft footsteps coming up the stairs…

* * *

Zim sighed and collapsed on the couch the house had just created. Thank God that was over with! He had spent the rest of the day buying the contract for the home he had "built." A few laws were bypassed and/or rushed in favor of throwing Zim's money into the faltering economy. 

Zim groaned as his headache beat against his temples repeatedly. Today had really kicked his butt and he was just ready to sleep. He yawned and stood up again, stretching his arms above his head before moving towards the staircase slowly. The computer had decided to make the house look as normal as possible and gone above and beyond the call of duty with decorating.

His feet dragged along the hard wooden surface of the stairs but he barely registered it. Zim threw the bedroom door open without thinking and fell onto the magenta sheets. A jolt went through his heart suddenly as he moved his eyes to the bedside table. The blue notebook lay there innocently, as if it hadn't been stolen.

Shaking slightly, a green, three-fingered hand reached out and grabbed the precious thing tightly, bringing it to a chest that was rising and falling rapidly in suppressed sobs. Zim refused to cry; it was a weakness that he wasn't willing to indulge in just yet.

But… Then again, there were no hidden spy cameras of the Dib's in _this_ house. No one would see him, right? So what would it matter if a few pale pink tears were shed?

The tiny droplets now fell freely, falling onto the notebook in a steady stream. Three years had gone by since the last time he had cried and it seemed that his body was long overdue. His shoulders shook with each shuddering breath he took in. Finally, when he felt his heart beginning to hurt, he wiped away the wet tracks on his cheeks and sniffled, trying to calm down.

_Why the hell is Zim crying? He doesn't need a filthy human stink-beast to make his life entertaining!_

But as many times as he said that to himself, it never rang completely true. Sighing sadly, he opened up the notebook to a random page and began to read. His breath caught in his throat at the first few sentences…

_Dear Diary,_

_I dreamed about Zim last night for about the third time. IN A ROW. This is getting frustrating! I hate that little bastard, with his "holier-than-thou" attitude and pretentious posture. So why the hell do these dreams keep popping up?!_

_It was the same as last night: I was walking down a moonlit path to a beach; when suddenly, a hand reaches out and grabs mine. Obviously, I'm terrified; since when do hands appear out of the darkness, right? Anyways, the fingers grip my own digits tightly and start to pull me to a darkened patch on the shore._

_As I make my way over, I see that there's a blanket set up and staked down. And while I don't really know at that point who the person is that's led me there, I know what's about to happen. And, no matter what I'm wearing beforehand, it magically disappears when I reach the sheet stretched out atop the sand._

_Before long… well, uh, without getting too graphic here (but you can't complain, right? Guess that's the problem with your only friend being a stack of papers held together by a piece of plastic.) Anyways, yeah… "Stuff" happens. Er… good-feeling stuff? No! Not good-feeling!_

_Shit. That alien's invaded my mind. I bet he's putting these dreams in there._

_Or… maybe I really am beginning to see him as something other than a danger to the planet. And if that's the case, the Earth is screwed. I'm getting relatively tired of protecting people who obviously don't deserve it, anyway. The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that if I do manage to expose Zim, I'll get some recognition (finally!)_

_I've been wondering lately, though; would I be able to go through with it? He's a sentient being; does that mean I can tie him to a metal autopsy table and carve away at his insides? Am I just being weak? It just doesn't seem right, somehow. Sure, maybe when I was ten, I might have been able to do that stuff; back then he was just my reason for getting in with the "cool kids." And killing wouldn't have seemed so morally wrong then._

_Good thing I know better now._

_But how could my feelings have changed so exponentially? It seems strange to think of him in this way... Strange but... not wrong. I used to hate him, from his fake hair to his (damn it, what did he call it? Oh yeah) squeedli-spuch or something... But now..._

_Now I respect him. Has that respect turned into liking him? Is that possible? I'm not so sure anymore… Life seems so confusing now. Damn you, puberty! Damn youuu!_

_Crap. Dad's home, which means its Friday's "Membrane Family Night Out." I better get down there before Gaz comes up here and kills me._

_Although I don't think Dad would notice if she carried my bloody corpse there._

_-Dib_

Zim looked at the piece of paper in shock, and then quickly turned to the date. This had happened only two weeks ago? Perhaps that's why the Dib had been acting so strange lately…

Zim closed the book and put it next to him. He curled up like a smeet next to the diary and keened deep in his throat. The tears began to flow again and he barely heard Gir's footsteps clunking on the wooden stairs.

How ironic that he and the one he missed most were in the exact same position at that very moment…

* * *

A/N: Yes, that last sentence was meant to echo the previous chapter's crappy one-liner. And while one of you said it wasn't TOO bad, it was still crappy. Although I thank you for your kind praise D This is probably going to be the longest thing I've ever written. And I have NO idea how it's going to end; I realized that today during AP Psychology and said out loud, "Shit!" My teacher told me that tourettes isn't something to be ashamed about. ;DDDD 

Please review! D


	5. Chapter 3: Santa Monica

Hello all! Welcome to the third chapter of "Go The Distance"! I just wanted to say: THANK YOU SOO MUCH! Honestly, if it wasn't for you guys and you're wonderful reviews, I probably would be giving up on this story right about now. But thanks to you, I'll continue with it no matter what. :D

Alright, well, sorry for this chapter being so short. But hey, you get to see Bria again! Tell me what you think of her, alright? That would be super-de-duper! (Why did that sound more retarded than I originally thought?)

The song "Santa Monica" is copyright of Savage Garden. :D Listen to their songs! Wheeee! And now, without further ado, Chapter 3: Santa Monica.

* * *

CHAPTER 3: SANTA MONICA 

The doorbell ran at 2:57 PM. Zim bolted upright from the dark blue couch. He had been busy re-decorating the entire house late into the night and completely forgotten that Bria was coming over today. He had been resting for a little bit; he needed to get the lab up and running, as well as the dining room.

A high-pitched screech echoed through the two-story house and Gir came rushing down the steps at lightning-speed. Zim tried to tackle the robot but failed miserably, as he always did. But all the android did was go to the door and start pawing at it and whining like a real dog would. Zim sighed in relief. Gir was listening for the first time in weeks…

He heard muffled squeaking behind the door. Hm. It seemed Bria didn't like dogs very much. This was useful information.

Zim walked to the front of the house, dusting himself off as he went. Best to look _slightly_ presentable when meeting her today; being covered in dust and dried paint just didn't seem right. Somehow, he knew she would be more on her guard then yesterday. She had had an entire night to do some thinking and probably had about a million scenarios in her mind about what was going to go down today.

He picked up Gir and, holding him in one arm, opened the door with a flourish and a grin. Bria was standing on the second to last step and looking decidedly nervous. A small "meep" of surprise escaped her when she saw Gir but then she uttered a sigh of relief and smiled back at Zim. _Thank God, it's a small dog…_ She thought as her heart stopped pounding as fast.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. First day of school and all." She said, looking him over and raising an eyebrow in amusement. "Uh, not to be rude or anything but… are those paint stains or something else?" Her grin turned evil and he swallowed nervously, a blush rising into his cheeks. He absent-mindedly brushed at the dried paint again. Bad Zim, don't think about the Dib right now!

"Y-yeah, it's paint." He said, looking back at her and cracking a half-smile when he saw that she was looking worried. "Don't worry, I'm not upset, Bria-huma- Yeah." _Don't call her that, dumb-ass. It's obvious that she's smarter than most humans and inferring that you're not one of her kind isn't the most intelligent thing to do._ "Would you like to come in? I have to get dressed in something that isn't reeking of paint fumes."

"Yeah, I heard that can cause brain damage." She said, grinning in a "I'm-such-a-smart-ass" way. Then her grin faltered. "Uh… sure. I'll come in." As if to emphasize her sudden bravery, she took a step forward. But when Gir made a small chirping noise, she stopped dead in her tracks and looked at the dog in alarm.

Zim couldn't help it. He began to laugh, loud and long. Bria looked offended and Gir looked up at his Master with bright, confused eyes. Such a strong girl, being afraid of something as tiny as Gir? It was definitely the first time he had laughed in a few days.

"S-sorry, it's just that… G-Gir here, he's… he's completely h-harmless and… Well, anyways, come in. I'll put him in the other room, don't worry." Zim said, still chuckling. He gave her an apologetic smile (after all, since when do Irkens apologize?) and waved a hand into the house. Bria sighed and rolled her chocolate orbs in mock-annoyance before entering the house. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the spacious living room around her. It was _huge_! (And it was also the source of the noxious paint fumes.)

"Wow! How the hell did you manage to buy this lot _and_ build a house? Are you a millionaire or something?" She whispered, her bright eyes taking in anything and everything. Zim felt the strange urge to laugh again at her behavior but decided it wasn't the best thing to do at the moment. Instead, he shook his head.

"Nope, not rich. My… uncles basically paid for it all." Zim bit his bottom lip; referring to the Almighty Tallest as uncles? Shit, he really was turning into a human. Strange lies and everything.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a shower quick so I don't smell too awful. Sorry to make you wait." He added hastily. "I just don't want to make you sick or anything." He was starting to ramble on and he knew it. Bria turned to him with a strange expression and he shook his head, putting a hand to his forehead. Great, now she thought he was crazy.

"No problem." She piped up, looking like she really didn't care. "Can I explore your house, then? Or would you rather I waited in the car or something?"

"Hm? Oh, no, you can wander around. Just… Be careful. Don't go in the fridge and if you see any buttons, _do not press them_. You don't want to even know the consequences of such an action." He gave her a stern stare. She looked taken aback at his sudden commanding air but nodded all the same. Sighing in relief, he smirked at her sudden uneasiness. Messing with the stink-beasts never got old… He made his way up the mahogany stairs, calling back down, "The remote for the TV is on the couch, if you get bored of 'exploring' my base."

Shit. He _was_ regressing.

Bria raised an eyebrow at him. "Base… yeah… Ok, I'll do that." She muttered, looking around nervously. Why was she even here? Seventeen-years-old and still naïve as ever. She should have punched him in the face yesterday and told him never to stalk her and her friends again. But nooo, Bria had to be the nice choir girl and invite to show him around town.

Alone.

Sighing slightly, Bria began to wander around the house. She was tempted to look in the fridge but decided that, if Zim had warned against it that vehemently, then it was a bad idea. She was amazed at the size of the house and the open comfort in each room. Some rooms, such as the dining room and a strange version of a study, weren't even half-way painted yet. But everything was so detailed, so well planned-out, that she was beginning to wonder if Zim was OCD, gay, or just bat-shit crazy.

Unconsciously, she hoped it was the second one.

Her feet brought her back to the living room, where a blue notepad sat idly on the couch. Bria's head tilted to the side in confusion and her brow furrowed slightly. Strange. Did Zim write? She made her way over to the notebook and reached out a hand to open the front cover…

A bark behind her told her that Zim had forgotten to put the dog in another room and she froze. _Shit. Shitshitshit._ Bria was completely terrified of dogs. They were so big and evil and had such sharp teeth…

A soft, fuzzy body rubbed against her leg and she stood stock-still. But after a few seconds, it was obvious the puppy wasn't a threat and she smiled softly. Awkwardly (because she was relatively larger than most humans), she sat down on the ground next to the navy couch and reached her arms out to the tiny pup. Its fur was so soft, and it was a bright golden color, like the sun during high noon.

She laughed when the dog licked her hand, feeling her ticklish-ness coming into play. Bria's smile turned warm and friendly and she began to pet Gir's head.

"So… he said your name was Gir, right?" Bria blinked. Either she was going crazy or that dog just nodded. Strange… "Uh… right… so… Is he a nice guy? I mean, he seems great and all, a fun person to hang out with, but…" She paused as Gir nodded again. Crap, she was going crazy… Time to test that theory out. "Lemme guess." She said, looking the golden retriever straight in the eyes as she bent over and whispered, "He's an alien bent on world domination."

In all honesty, she was expecting the dog to start talking and say, "No ma'am, he's just a lunatic!"

The dog nodded again and she laughed, suddenly feeling better. Obviously, Zim had trained Gir to move his head up and down no matter what a person said. She scratched under his chin and he panted happily, his tail wagging back and forth in sheer bliss.

"Ah, I see you two made friends." A voice came from behind them. Bria jumped and turned toward the stairway. Zim was standing there, drying off his "hair" with a dark green towel. He was dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black shirt that simply stated, "Z?" in bright white font. Bria grinned at his comment and his attire.

"Yeah, Girs not so bad… how did you teach him how to nod, though? That freaked me out until I realized he was just responding to my voice…" She said, turning back to Gir and scratching behind his ear with a caring smile on her face. The puppy just gave her a version of a dog-like grin and nudged his head towards her hand.

Zim stood there, stunned. He had told Gir to act as dog-like as possible today! How could one android be so frickin' _stupid_?! But it seemed no damage was done; the human merely thought it was a learned reaction. Almost sighing in sheer relief, he said jokingly, "Let's just say that it took a long time and move on." Bria laughed and nodded, standing back up (with some difficulty.) Gir whined as his source of affection moved away and stood on his hind legs, his front paws landing on the girl's camo pants. She squeaked and laughed, petting his head one last time before standing up straight again and grinning at Zim.

"So, should we be off? I'm afraid if I stay at your house any longer, I'm gonna get randomly shot at or something. Or kidnapped." She chuckled, feeling proud that her voice didn't wobble on those last two words. But Zim had seen the flash of fear going through her eyes and understood how truly nervous she was. He gave her a soft grin and threw the towel away with a flourish. This made her giggle again, hiding her beaming mouth behind her hand.

"No problem. Let's go! The Almighty Zim commands it!" Whoop. That was a regression into very bad habits that could _get him found out_. But Bria just laughed and nodded, grabbing his hand and practically dragging him out of the house. Guess she thought his strangeness was some form of a learned reaction too…

Today was going to be amazingly fun, she could tell…

* * *

Dib sat at the computer desk. He had finally gotten out of bed, only to realize that his notebook was gone. This had sent him into a whole new wave of depression; Zim had obviously taken it. Did that mean he was still on Earth? 

It had to. He would have given it back to Dib by now if he was in Membraneville. Maybe (Dib knew he was pulling at strings here) it was a sub-conscious plea for Dib to go and find him. His talk with Gaz yesterday just seemed to amplify this revelation.

"_Dib, you can't just lay in bed forever… Go find your boyfriend, already. It's not too late, y'know…"_

Ah, good ol' Gaz always knew what to say to make him feel crappy and awesome at the same time. _How the hell does she do that, anyways?_ He thought idly. This led him back to the reason he was at the computer desk.

What better way to find Zim than through the internet? The plan was fool-proof! All he needed was a website that had enough people, spread out all over the globe, and he was in the clear. It was an unconscious decision that he was going to rely on a younger group of people. Adults had let him down enough in his life; no need to add to the list.

He searched through half a million sites before coming to one that looked promising. If anyone could help him, they would be on Myspace. After all, what self-respecting teenager didn't have a Myspace these days, right?

He snorted. Yeah, right. Sighing in aggravation, he made an account, loathing himself for it. God, this was so pathetic. Giving into the masses just to find some stupid alien that he might or might not have had feelings for…

Throwing those thoughts away, he finally made the whole thing. Even a stupid picture of himself was on his homepage. Why the hell did people make these stupid things?! And already, he had a friend. Someone named "Tom." Who the hell was "Tom," please and thank you? And what the hell did it mean that he should "pimp his profile"?

Damn it, this sucked.

Dib sighed. Now he needed a sure-fire way to contact the world and ask them where Zim was. But how?...

Haha. Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego, only with Zim instead of the lady in the scarlet clothes.

Groaning, he put his head in his hands. _God_, this was going to be annoying… But then an idea struck him. Why not make a video? That way, he could show pictures of Zim in his hologram and people would know what to look for. It could be a daily blog: _Here's what I've found so far, here's what was fake._ It was perfect!

He quickly got out his new video camera (he had to buy a new one after Zim destroyed the old one) and began taping. Every word he said seemed to come from the heart. This in itself was strange; since when did he ever speak from the heart when it concerned _Zim_? Finally, when he thought he had explained everything thoroughly (and intentionally keeping out the alien's _real_ race), he ended the video with:

"I know this sounds completely crazy. And it probably is. But… all of you, at one point, have had that one person you've always believed in; the person you were living for. Well, Zim is my reason. He's been my reason for the past six years. I just want to find my friend and bring him home. Anything you know will help me. I'll update every three days with news on his whereabouts. As of now, I'm offering a reward to anyone who pinpoints exactly where he is. Thank you. Dib, out."

Oh, well, that last part sounded stupider than he had expected. Better edit that out.

Pleased (mostly) with the video, he stopped taping and turned the camera off. Now all he had to do was put it up and hopefully get some hits…

* * *

A/N: Yes, yes, I know I just totally dissed Myspace. I'm sorry, I had to! -nervous smile- Please don't kill me! -begs- 

I know this chapter wasn't done as well as the previous ones. But I hope you continue to read, regardless. :)

Probably around chapter 5, we'll start seeing some Dib-leaving-to-find-Zim action. And more of the plot. Yay plot! As of right now, though, I only have this chapter written. I've started the fourth chapter but there probably won't be any more daily updates from now on. I promise to have them up within three days of the previous chapter, unless an unexpected issue comes up (such as homework -weak chuckle-) So please be patient, dear reviewers! I love you so!

Please review! It means a lot to me if you do.

-Teya


	6. Chapter 4: Walk A Thousand Miles

Hello again! I am SO sorry, you guys! I know this chapter is one day past the late mark but I've had so much freakin' homework lately! Please forgive me! -grovels-

Not much to say here. "Walk A Thousand Miles" is copyright of Vanessa Carlton. w00t.

The last little bit at the bottom is pretty much the funniest thing I have ever written.

And fanart is greatly appreciated -winks- -hint hint-

And now, without further ado, here is chapter 4 of Go the Distance!

* * *

CHAPTER 4: WALK A THOUSAND MILES 

Zim shut the door behind him and motioned for Bria to continue to the car. She gave him another strange look but nodded all the same and went to the driver's-side door and got in. The alien-in-disguise turned to the wooden slab and muttered softly, "Defense systems on." A resounding click was heard through the entire house and he nodded in satisfaction.

Bria watched him with slight confusion. What was he whispering to the door? Christ, maybe he was crazy. But then she thought, _Maybe he has one of those cool voice-activated things and doesn't want me to hear the code. Or something… yeah. That's probably it. After all, the guy is filthy stinkin' rich!_ Then she smirked wryly. _Well, ain't that ironic? Someone's richer than me, the spoiled princess!_

Zim walked to the car and seemed a little nervous. The first and last time had had entered one of these human vehicles, it was to learn the horrendous teachings of Driver's Education. For some strange reason, the teacher had thought it was a good idea to pair him up with Dib.

That day ended in tragedy for six civilians, two mailboxes, a row of bushes, and an unknown about of small, fuzzy critters.

"C'mon Zim! Get in! I hafta be home by seven which gives me only four hours to show you the gigantic city of Grand Haven!" Bria called jokingly from inside the blue death trap. She honked the horn and Zim winced slightly; that had hurt his antenna more than he was expecting it to. The Irken took a deep breath, as if to steady himself, then opened the passenger door and slid in. She smiled encouragingly, comfortingly, as if she knew why he was scared.

Turns out, his fear was real. The only thing that didn't scare him half to death was the fact that she stayed on her side of the road and didn't run into (or over) anything.

Finally, after two solid minutes of this crazy driving, they reached the main highway. Zim was clinging to his seat, the knuckles on his hologram's hand bright white from his strong grip. Bria calmed down considerably once they were out of the suburbs and her pace grew leisurely. Now she was only a bit over the speed limit.

"Hey, Zim." She said, breaking the tense silence. He looked up, having turned his eyes away in fear at the beginning of the experience. "Can I ask you a question?" Zim smirked slightly, his grip loosening on the seat.

"Yes, you may ask Zim another question." He snickered, giving her a side-long glance full of mischief. She pretended to be offended and pouted, then laughed. _Gotta learn better grammar!_ She thought to herself, not consciously realizing that "gotta" wasn't quite grammatically correct.

"All right, all right, smart-ass. You proved your point." She said, chuckling along with Zim. It seemed strange to be having such a good time with someone she had only met the day before. But then she pushed that thought away; they just got along well and it was easy to be herself in front of him. Remembering she had a question that needed answering, she asked, "Why did you choose Grand Haven? I mean, no offense, but most people would choose something… Well… more interesting. I've lived here for fourteen years of my life and I have yet to find something worth staying for, besides the people and the choir program."

Zim looked at Bria with wide eyes. How was he supposed to respond? 'Oh, well, you know, I was running away from my enemy and my old life. You know how that is, right?' She would think he was insane, if she didn't think that already!

Nonchalantly, he replied, "It was small and seemed to be very family-oriented. I just thought it looked like a nice place to stay for a while." _'A while' as in 'forever' of course. Or at least until people start noticing I don't age…_

Seeming satisfied with that answer, she nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, it is a pretty place to live. I suppose I just forget how nice it is sometimes." She laughed then, causing Zim to give her a strange look. Why was the human girl laughing? She shook her head a little at his expression and said, "It's just strange for me to not notice the beauty of Grand Haven. I mean, I notice everything! I'm an author! Noticing everything and putting it on paper is my job!" She shook her head again and Zim just smiled in a confused manner.

She pulled off the main highway onto a street called Ferris. Zim blinked and looked out the window, his eyes widening at the sight of a huge building looming before the two of them. He looked at the blue words that were on the tallest part of the establishment:

GRAND HAVEN HIGH SCHOOL

"Welcome to GHHS, home of the world's worst high school football team and the country's best choir program ever!" She said happily, pulling into a parking space and shutting the car off. Zim opened his door but before he could leave, Bria had pulled him back. He fell back into his seat and gave her a confused look.

"What's the matter?" He asked, looking a little lost. Bria laughed a little nervously and this caught his attention straight away. What was she hiding from him? He held back his frown and waited patiently for her to tell him what she was up to.

"Well, uh… Y'see, I have some friends who are gonna meet up with me here… So I need you to not freak out on them. They might say or do some strange things. Be especially wary of Mike; he's so freakin' protective of his friend sometimes!" A scowl flashed across her face for a brief instant before turning into a good-natured smile, albeit with a hint of apology in it.

"Just… try to be gentle with them. They're not used to me being so… Er… out-going." She blushed slightly when she realized she was still holding onto his arm and let him go right away. Zim blinked; that was all? And why was she blushing?

Humans could be so confusing sometimes!

"How many of them?" He asked, trying not to sound angry. He wasn't, really, but he was worried; would one of them see through his human-like charade? It wasn't likely but… He still was edgy.

Bria sighed in relief when he didn't sound to upset and opened up her own door. They both exited the car and Zim turned to her with his hands on his hips, one eyebrow cocked in seriousness. "How many?" He asked again.

"Hmm? Oh, only three. You might recognize Mike and Vee; they were sitting with me and Jess before you stopped stalking me and actually came to talk to us." She winked and he smirked wryly. Was she always going to refer to that? "And my boyfriend, Tony. Be _very_ nice to him. He gets jealous easily and he'll wonder what I'm doing talking to a cute guy like you." She added, winking again. Zim blushed good-naturedly and thought inside, _would she think my real self was ugly, then?... I was considered weird back home but here… All of the humans here are so intelligent. Of course they would think green skin and no nose or ears are ugly._

"Got it. I'll be good. For Zim is never bad! Ohhh no, Zim is never bad. The room with a moose was an accident!" Agh! All of these words kept coming up like projectile vomit and he couldn't stop them! He thought he had worked on the random rantings and third-person speaking! _You're gonna be found out this way, you idiot!_ But Bria was just laughing her head off, as if his insanity was funny.

"A-A room with a moose? What the hell are you-"

"Bria! There she is, Mike. Oh, for God's sake, Tony, stop sulking-"

Three people walked up to them. One of them (whom Zim presumed was Mike) was dark-haired and had hazel-blue eyes. He was holding hands with a sandy-haired female, who was waving to Bria like a moron and laughing. The other individual was tall and pale, almost vampire-ishly so. His hair was pitch-black and his eyes were a deep, dark blue.

Zim repressed a shudder; he had read a book once about a boy who sounded a lot like him. What was it called again? Oh yeah, Artemis Fowl. Damn, he even had the evil grin down-pat! Creepy…

"Hey guys! What's up?" Bria piped up cheerfully, grinning like a maniac. She hugged Mike and Vee, then kissed Tony on the cheek. His smile turned a bit more soft and he turned her chin up to him and kissed her full on the mouth. She blushed a bit and pulled away, hitting him in the shoulder lightly with a pretend-scowl.

"How rude! Making me kiss you in front of our guest! He must feel so uncomfortable now. Don't you, Zim?" She said, turning to him jokingly. The alien blinked, his eyes getting a little wider. He opened his mouth to respond but found that there were no words to say. Instead, he snapped his jaw closed and shook his head, speechless.

"Aww, I'm sorry, Zim. I wasn't _really_ expecting an answer. Poor Zim!" She wailed softly, hugging him tightly. "I have confused you! Damn it, me! When will you learn?!" Then she started laughing and the other three just looked at each other with a "Bria-is-crazier-than-normal" expression on their faces. Zim stood there, stunned a little by her actions. This girl belonged in an asylum!

"Ah, sorry, I forgot my manners." She said, stopping her giggle fit as if it had never happened. Zim gave her an uneasy look; screw the asylum, she needed a straight-jacket and a padded room in an Irken prison! "Mike, Vee, Tony, this is Zim. He moved here from Membraneville." She said, pointing to each in turn and then to Zim. Then she turned to Zim and said, "Zim, this is Mike, Vee, and Tony. Mike and Vee are a couple, just in case you didn't realize it by their blatant hand-holding."

"Brianne, leave us alone." Mike said softly, giving her a pretend-glare. She "eep"-ed and hid behind her hands, moving her fingers a little to look at him. He sighed and ran a hand through his straight brown hair. She was like this too often: too sugar-happy and excited to think straight. "Besides, I've seen you go much farther in a public place with Tony here-" He jerked a thumb in Tony's direction. "-Than I ever have with Vee." Bria made another "eep" noise and she flushed a nice red color, moving her hands away from her face and giving him a real glare.

"That was one time! I ask that you don't embarrass me in front of my new friend, please." She said, her voice raising slightly with anger and humiliation as she turned anxiously to Zim. What she saw had her jaw dropping and another blush creeping into her cheeks. Zim was giggling into his hand, trying to divert attention away from himself by being as quiet as possible. He was so shocked at how well they all got along. Vee suddenly started chuckling as well and soon they were all laughing. Nothing like one's trauma to bring a group of people closer, eh?

"Sorry 'bout that, Zim. It kinda happens all the time. Mike says something insensitive," She sent him an evil glare and he stuck his tongue out at her. "I get upset and say something stupid, and then we all laugh about it." She shrugged, smiling a bit. Zim just nodded, still grinning.

"Anyways… Its nice to meet you, Zim. Bria called me last night and told me the whole story. Sounds like an interesting way to meet someone." Mike said, turning back to Zim and giving him an inquisitorial once-over. Zim had the good nature to blush slightly, giving Bria small glare.

"I wasn't _stalking_ you, for the last time!" He muttered to her so only she could hear. She just laughed and waved it off as if it were nothing. Then she looked at her watch and sighed.

"We've been outside too long; I wanna show Zim the school! So,-"She said, cutting Tony off. "If there are no more interruptions, lets go inside, ok?" And with that, she took Zim's hand and began dragging him (albeit gently) to the front doors. Zim squeaked and followed with little to no protest, looking back imploringly at the other three, as if to say, "Help me!" They all just laughed and followed the two in.

It seemed Bria was like this a lot: stubborn, loud, and giggly to the point of obnoxiousness. Maybe moving here wasn't such a bad idea…

* * *

Dib groaned in frustration. It had been a full twenty-four hours and not a single person had so much as clicked on the video! How the hell was he supposed to find an AWOL alien without any help?! He leaned back in his chair and sighed sadly. He moved a hand over the new journal he had gotten; it was a plain black notebook with no distinguishing marks whatsoever. But he had placed a single sticker on the inside cover that read, "I BELIEVE" in big, fancy letters. 

Deciding he wouldn't be able to force people to watch the movie just by sitting there, he stood up and stretched slightly. He hadn't moved in about three hours; "pimping" one's Myspace is a lot tougher than it looked. There was so much HTML involved! _But I suppose its good practice. I haven't used CSS code in so long, I almost forgot it!_ He added to himself; none of the pre-made backgrounds had fit him. So, instead, he had made his own entire page.

Being a teenage genius had its perks, after all.

He picked up the journal and went to go lay down on his bed for some R&R. Time to write the first entry. Sighing again, he took the pink fuzzy pen that Zim had jokingly given him for Christmas two years ago and began to write. As he wrote down his thoughts, he remembered that day two years ago when he had received the fluffy, feathered writing utensil…

* * *

"_Dib-stink!" Zim called out and Dib stopped in his tracks, turning around with gold eyes glaring at the alien. As if it wasn't bad enough that they had to go to school on Christmas, it was also way below zero outside and Dib was freezing cold. Zim ran up to him, panting slightly; it seemed he had run all the way from school to catch up with the human._

"_What do you want, Space Boy? It's cold." Dib said, rubbing his arms in emphasis. Zim just smirked and stood there, his new contacts flashing with suppressed mirth. The human rolled his eyes and began to walk away again. It was too cold to fight with the Irken Invader today and he was going to prove it!_

"_Dib-worm! Stop! Zim has a present for the tidings of this stupid holi- I mean… Christmas." Zim ran up to Dib again and held out a rectangular box, grinning all the while. Dib turned around so fast that he almost lost his balance and fell into the glittering white snow at his feet. A present?_

_There was definitely something wrong with this picture._

"_What kind of alien device do you have in there?" The paranormal investigator asked suspiciously as he gingerly took the brightly-wrapped, potential danger from the Invader's outstretched hands. He looked it over again and again but realized that whatever was inside wouldn't be able to be distinguished by looking at the OUTSIDE._

"_Open it, Dib-thing. I'm sure it will prove to be… amusing. And _not _dangerous." Zim said, smirking. Sighing in resignation and giving Zim a "you-better-be-telling-the-truth" look, he began to rip at the fire-truck red paper and found a plain brown box sitting there. He looked at it uneasily for a moment, then steeled himself and took the top off._

_Inside sat a pen. But it wasn't any ordinary pen, oh no. It was a bright, fluorescent pink and covered in silver sparkles. The top had a fountain of flamingo-like feathers cascading down the sides of the pen gently._

_Dib felt his eye twitching; he knew exactly why Zim had gotten him this particular pen. At their field-trip last week to the local zoo (why they went in the middle of December is beyond any logic), Dib had seen the pen and muttered to himself, "That's probably the gayest thing I've ever seen."_

_Zim must have heard him and bought it in retaliation. Damn that alien!_

_Inside the box was a card and Dib picked it up with hands that felt like ice. It read, _For when you're feeling gayer than normal.

_Zim was laughing so hard that it seemed he wasn't breathing. Doubled-up and gasping for breath, he was the picture of mirth. Dib growled and threw the card at the alien in embarrassment._

_Without another word to him, Dib marched off towards home, not realizing he still carried the pen in his hand…_

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed chapter four! And yes, Dib's school is pretty much insane. That will be explained later on, though. -grins- So please bear with me! 

Next chapter, we get some info from people all over the US and Dib finally goes hunting for some alien ass! (And yes, I very much made that sound gayer than it was supposed to.)

See ya'll next chapter! Please review ;D


	7. Chapter 5: Come And Sing

Hey all! -smiles- Here's the next chapter!

"Come And Sing" is copyright the GHHS choirs. -smiles- I love my choir sooo much. We've ranked as the best choir in the nation twice: 2000 and 2003. Yes, this is all based in my hometown. And my school. w00t and stuff.

WARNING: Naughty language ;D Tony is a bad boy and he uses the "f-word" so if this offends you, I'm sorry. -grins nastily- I hope blood doesn't freak you out, either. Or broken bones

This chapter is dedicated to **September's Nobara** and **heartkyo** for artistic renditions being worked on. -gives them both a supremely huge hug- Thank you sooo much, again!

So, without further ado, here is the fifth chapter of "Go The Distance." Again, sorry for making the author's note so freakin' long xX; Anyways... It's eight pages long -grins- I hope everyone has a comfortable chair to sit in. Its going to be a long chapter...

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE: COME AND SING 

Zim wandered the school with Bria and her three friends. Everything was so… so big! Zim was amazed at the size of the hallways and the library especially had him gasping. Sure, it wasn't the size of the local library but… for a school library, it was amazing!

They finally started heading the other way. They passed through the large lobby and Zim looked around with wide eyes. They had gone straight to the library first and had bypassed this area completely. It was a circular room with a high, arching ceiling. There were windows at the very top, the sun shining down onto the large pendulum below. It seemed to be the school's pride and joy; a giant rotunda made to look like the world, set to match the time. It was beautiful.

Zim wanted to reach out and touch it but Bria had stopped him, giving him the no-no finger and grinning. He had pouted and retreated his hand. It looked so cool. He just wanted to touch it!

"No touching the rotunda, Zim. Kids get suspended for that, y'know." Bria said, giving him an evil smirk. "But since you're not a student yet, you'd probably get charged with destruction of private property or something." She sniggered then and continued walking, beckoning him with her. Zim sighed in defeat and followed her, throwing one last glance backward at the rotunda. Then he continued on.

His eyes grew large once again as he saw the sheer size of the cafeteria. It was a huge, spacious area with different picnic-like tables set up across the floor. How many kids attended this school, anyway?!

"C'mon, Zim. I saved the best for last. Oh, and we're not going down to the athletic wing." Bria made a face. "Sports are icky."

Zim nodded in agreement; all of his experience with athletics had ended in either his misery or Dib's (although it was funnier when it was Dib who was suffering.) The alien felt another pain go through his heart at the thought of his old enemy. How was he faring? Was he ok? Was he-

_Stop thinking of the Dib-stink!_ Zim thought fiercely as he followed Bria and posse into another large hallway. _That part of your life is over!_ The Invader felt another searing knife go through his soul at that. Another part of his life over, already? As if getting banished to this stink-hole wasn't enough, now he had lost the only person who had cared whether he stayed or left.

Something sweet-sounding entered his antenna and he stopped mid-step, causing him to lose his balance a little and trip. Bria turned around and made a shushing motion. Zim turned his attention to a partially open door and almost gasped in surprise. A group of over twenty humans was standing there, all garbed in black outfits of some sort. They were all facing the front of the classroom (which Zim couldn't see.)

Coming from their mouths was the most beautiful music the alien had ever heard. In the background, the sound of a piano filtered into and around their singing. It was stunning; how did humans manage to destroy their world, yet make such gorgeous music?

Zim's antenna picked up the words suddenly, as if that thought about their waste had filtered into their minds.

"People who make music together cannot be enemies.

Cannot be enemies… At least while the music lasts.

We are friends forever, when we sing together.

The whole world is better when we sing…"

Zim listened, entranced by this strange, haunting melody. These humans were little more than children, yet the sound emanating from them was that of adults. Adults who had seen the world and knew of its true sorrows.

All too soon, the music was over and then he was being led in by Bria and followed by Vee. He noticed that Mike and Tony stayed behind, waving and grinning evilly. What were these girls planning to do?!

"Hello, Mrs. Lemon!" Bria called, walking up to the piano and smiling shyly. "Sorry I'm a little late. I know I still have to get into my uniform. I was just showing my new friend Zim around."

A tall woman with bright white hair and a large smile turned to Bria and her "new friend." The teenagers behind her began murmuring and a few called out greetings to Bria and Vee. The girls waved to them, albeit Bria was a bit shyer. Zim watched all of this with nervous eyes. He wasn't quite sure he liked being looked at by this many people.

"Ah, good to see you, Brianne. Are you ready for your solo?" Mrs. Lemon said, smiling at her student. Bria smiled softly and nodded, although Zim noticed that her grip on his hand grew a bit tighter. Mrs. Lemon then turned to Zim and gave him the same blinding smile. "Are you going to join choir, Zim?"

Zim blinked, his eyes growing a little wide. "I, um… I'm not quite sure. I j-just moved here a few days ago. I have yet to g-get enrolled…"

"Don't worry; you don't have to answer right away. I was just wondering." Mrs. Lemon said, waving a hand in dismissal. She turned back to Bria and began scolding her for not wearing her uniform. Bria seemed to shrink into herself a little and told her in a soft voice that she was going to go get ready right away. Mrs. Lemon nodded and turned back to the choir behind her. They grew silent instantly and she began telling them that they had done the crescendo wrong.

Before Zim could hear anymore of their beautiful singing, Bria began dragging him away. She waved a bit to a girl with bright blonde hair, said good-bye to Vee (who seemed to be going to this thing called Petite Ensemble), and then brought Zim out of the choir room through a door in the corner.

"Er… sorry about that mini-detour. Um… yeah. I have to go get ready." Bria shifted nervously. "I might've… y'know… Kidnapped you a little." She laughed anxiously, running a hand through her dark brown hair. Zim raised an eyebrow, and then turned back to the room in curiosity. It seemed they had a performance tonight…

"Did you bring me here to listen to you sing a solo?" He asked quietly, turning back to her with a strange look in his eyes. Bria laughed uncertainly again, playing with a silver butterfly earring in her nervousness.

"Well, uh… Not to listen to _me_, exactly… I just thought I'd have enough time to bring you back but… Apparently not…" Bria sighed and ran a hand through her hair again. Zim reached out and grabbed her hand, putting it back down by her side. She blinked and then laughed; a real laugh without any uncertainty or anxiety. She tried to keep it down, though, since they were practicing again in the choir room again.

"Sorry, I know it's a really bad habit… Are you mad?" She said, her grin fading a bit. Zim was surprised by the sadness that showed through in her eyes. She truly thought she had upset him in some way! He shook his head.

"No, no, Bria-human, I am not angry with you." He said, smiling a bit. _Best pretend that you didn't just call her a human, you moron! Why not just come out and say that you're an alien?!_ Zim mentally beat himself over the head; the girl had noticed his slip this time and she was giving him a strange look.

"Uh… yeah… that's good…" Zim was spared the need to explain himself by the girl, herself. She yelped when she saw the clock in the hallway. "Crap! I really need to go get dressed! Zim, you can go into the auditorium or you can go back into the choir room, if you want. I gotta go! See you after the concert! Meet me at the rotunda, ok?" And with that, she was rushing away to a nearby bathroom.

Zim snorted, keeping his amusement quiet; this girl was certainly amusing. Ignoring both of her suggestions, he wandered into the cafeteria and sat down on a high seat. He rested his chin in his hands and looked ahead, seeing a reflection of himself in the windows surrounding the outer wall.

A pale human sat where he sat, dark black hair sweeping out to brush his shoulders. The feathery ends of the wig brushed against high cheekbones and framed a heart-shaped face. One indigo-colored eye stared back at him, the other hidden by a lock of ebony hair. The violet-blue orb pierced into his heart, a heart that wasn't as human as the rest of his body seemed.

The reflection in the window was skinny, almost anorexic-like in appearance. The black shirt was tight-fitting, showing off muscles that he hadn't been aware he had (they probably came from fighting off Dib every other day.) The dark blue jeans were a little looser and hung just below his belly button (although said belly button couldn't be seen, since it was covered by the "Z?" shirt.)

Zim sighed and put his head in his hands. He didn't like seeing himself so human. It seemed like a betrayal, somehow, to his people and to himself. Zim scoffed; how could he let down his people when they had already given up him?

"Hey Zim." A voice called from across the cafeteria. Zim pretended to perk up at the noise and he turned, feeling his heart sink a little when he saw that it was Tony standing there. Mike was nowhere to be found, which made the ex-Invader a little anxious. He gave Bria's boyfriend a _very_ fake smile.

"Hi." Zim said simply, standing up and stretching a little. He put his arms down and began walking over to the human. Tony watched him, his eyes like dark and foreboding like a glacier.

"You and I need to have a little talk about my girl." The teen said, giving Zim a creepy, vampire-like smile of his own. Zim repressed a shudder; this human was scarier than Dib had ever been! And that was saying something, since Dib had threatened to cut Zim open and expose his organs to the world.

"About what, exactly?" Zim said, flattening his antenna as tight against his head as he could. His smile disappeared and he narrowed his eyes in dislike. He didn't enjoy the way Tony had said, "My girl," as if Bria was a possession. It didn't sit well with the alien.

"Listen here, faggot," Tony said coldly, ignoring the other boy's gasp of indignation. "I know Brianne has a thing for gay guys like you. You just better stay the fuck away from her; she's mine and nobody else's to play with." Tony smirked at that and Zim felt a growl building in the back of his throat. This human was disgusting; did Bria know that he said things like this?!

"First of all, _Tony_," Zim said his name as if it were the dirtiest thing he had ever heard, making the human seem even angrier. "I am not gay. So you can back the fuck off, alright? Second of all," Zim's voice rose as Tony tried to cut in. The human fell silent and waited for Zim to finish, glaring all the while. "Don't _ever_ talk about her that way in front of me ever again or you'll find yourself on the floor with a bloody nose so fast you won't even know what happened. I might even have Gir come here and feed you to his piggy-friend." Zim smirked at the confusion on Tony's face; apparently, that comment had lost the boy.

"You're frickin' insane, Zim… What the hell is a 'Gir,' anyways?" Tony shook his head, as if to dispel these thoughts. He opened his mouth to say something else but then Bria stepped out of the bathroom. His face easily melted into something much kinder and softer but Zim saw through the mask. There was a spark in his eyes that seemed much more malicious than a boyfriend should have.

"Hey, Brianne." He said, hugging her to his chest with a gentle smile on his face. Over her shoulder, though, he sent Zim an evil glare and the alien returned the look just as forcefully. Bria hugged him back tightly, her eyes closed in bliss.

"I've gotta get going, hun. Mrs. Lemon is going to kill me if I'm even later than I already am!" She gave him a quick peck on the lips, waved to Zim with a silly grin on her face, then jogged into the music wing. Tony watched her go with a feral look in his ice-chip eyes.

Zim felt something snap inside him. He walked to him and grabbed his shoulder, jerking him around. Rearing a fist back, he thrust the clenched digits forward and they connected solidly with Tony's nose. A sickening crack filled the air.

"Zim?! What the hell do think you're you doing?!" Mike had come out of the men's bathroom just in time to see the blow being struck. Zim was panting with anger, glaring at Tony, who had fallen to the floor in pain. The human writhed in agony, blood pouring from his nose. He wasn't aware that Mike was there yet.

"Did you hear what this… this _filth_ was saying about the Bria-human?" Zim's voice rose into a fevered pitch, anger evident in his stance, his eyes, in every part of him. His eyes were a dark molten violet, burning with passion. Mike was looking at him strangely, not quite in fear but more in acknowledgement. With a sigh, Mike looked down at the body squirming on the floor instead of at Zim.

"We all know what he's been saying, except for Brianne. She refuses to believe us. Her friend Amber has threatened to stop talking with her if she doesn't dump this piece of shit." Mike frowned slightly, still looking at Tony, who was becoming more and more aware of his surroundings. "I hope you didn't give him a concussion or something."

"He'll be fine; just a broken nose." Zim said nonchalantly. Then he grinned evilly, going down on one knee besides Bria's "lover." He glared at the boy beneath him, his old nature coming back.

"Here's a lesson, human filth." He whispered maliciously, grabbing the dark black strands of hair that were soaking into the bloody puddle he had caused to come from his nose. He yanked the boy's head up, causing another soft, pained cry. Zim felt exhilaration at his dominance coursing through his veins. "You will tell no one it was me that gave you that broken nose, especially not Brianne. It would humiliate you beyond anything; if you say so much as 'it was-', I will be there, waiting to tell your 'girlfriend' what you so kindly said about her."

"B-…Bastard." Tony grunted, looking up at Zim in disgust. "Little faggot, wait 'till I get my hands on-"He screeched in agony as Zim shoved his face onto the floor and made his nose shift and crack some more.

"No, no, filthy mud-crawler. That is not how you address the Almighty Zim when he is allowing you to keep your _pathetic_ life." Zim said, still beaming in a truly wicked way. "Here's your lesson: learn to look at your girlfriend as something other than a slab of meat and I might let your organs remain where they are." With that, Zim stood up and looked at the blood-stains on his jeans in disgust. "Ugh, you ruined my favorite pair of pants with your human slime." And with those parting words, he turned to the music wing and sauntered away, heading for the choir room.

"Zim's got a point, Tony." Mike said as he watched the alien walk away. He looked down at the bloody boy with well-hidden disdain. "I probably hate you the most out of all Bria's friends; even Jess doesn't hate you as much as I do. So from now on, you better watch yourself; who knows when we'll all gang up on you?" Mike walked away, presumably to follow Zim to the choir room so he could drag the strange new boy to the auditorium. And to congratulate him, of course, on kicking Tony's ass.

As Mike stepped into the hallway leading to the choir room, he began to think back on what Zim had been saying to Tony as the other boy laid in the pool of blood. It was rather strange how Zim had referred to the bleeding teen as "human," as if he wasn't one himself. Mike stopped suddenly, frowning. That was a silly thought…

Wasn't it?…

* * *

Dib looked through the few comments left on his homepage. He now had about twenty friends (in one night, which was pretty amazing.) It seems one girl had looked at his movie and been so moved by it that she had shared it with all her friends spread over the country. Those friends promised to make sure to keep a look-out for Zim. Dib smiled a bit when he read an over-zealous comment. 

"lyke omg thats totaly aful. i cant believe he just left u like taht! i wil so totaly keep a lookout 4 him so i can kik his $$ wen i c him."

Dib laughed softly at this comment. He went to the one at the top of the comments list and gasped a bit. He read it over a few times, his eyes widening past the rim of his glasses.

"There's a kid that looks a like that who just moved here. You should come check out Idaho Falls. And if you don't know what state that's in, you've gotta be freakin' psycho. –Natalie the Pinja"

Dib read it over a few more times, and then grinned maniacally. Hopefully, Zim was there and he could end his search quickly. He got up from the computer and moved over to his bed. He reached under the bed frame and pulled out an old and worn suitcase. He placed it on top of the mattress and began packing swiftly. The young paranormal investigator had long outgrown his not-quite-smiling smiley face shirt and black pants of his youth. Now he wore a variety of jeans and loose t-shirts, none of them quite the same but not differing much, either.

He walked over to the closet and opened the doors with a flourish. There was a rack of about ten to fifteen trench coats. He took all of them down and stuffed them into his suitcase. Nodding in satisfaction, Dib went over to his most prized possession.

It was a picture of him and Zim. He still didn't know how Gaz had managed to convince them to take a nice photograph of each other and to this day, she used it to blackmail him into everything. But then again, Gaz was Gaz and that was convincing enough.

In the picture, he and Zim were standing close enough together that they could be mistaken for friends. Both were smiling and waving at the camera nervously. Dib chuckled slightly, trying to lighten up his leaden heart.

Finding that this was harder said than done, he sighed and placed the laminated photo into a hidden compartment in his suitcase. He moved over to his computer desk and grabbed his laptop (which he barely used) and placed it into the travel case. The last thing he placed in there was the journal and it's pink, fuzzy counterpart.

Looking around his room, he realized how much it didn't quite _feel_ like home anymore. Nothing about Membraneville or his house felt like home anymore. His father didn't quite seem like his _father_; only Gaz remained static.

And that's when it hit him: home is where the heart is.

_Home_ is where the _heart_ is.

His heart had run away to another city.

Dib hurried over to the suitcase and quickly zipped it up. He picked it up and began going down the hallway towards. Not wanting to wake up his sister, he tip-toed as quietly as possible past her room. Walking past his father's room, he didn't even try to keep his booted feet silent. It simply didn't matter; even if the Professor was in his room, he would be so deep in sleep that not even a stampeding group of hungry moose would wake him up.

Finally, Dib made it downstairs and to the garage. His mouth turned up into a slight smile as he looked at his completed project: Tak's ship.

It had taken him a year and a half to finally get it into working order again. Sometimes he would take it out just to see the stars up close. Whenever he was up in space, all of his problems seemed to fall away; there was suddenly no alien bent on world domination, no father to neglect him, and no abusive sister. Just millions and millions of stars, each pinprick of light easing his troubled soul into a calmness he didn't know he could feel.

Dib shook himself out of his thoughts and opened up the glass dome. He placed the suitcase behind the chair and sat down, strapping himself in. A woosh-like sound emanated from the ship and he grinned as the garage door opened. He looked behind himself one last time; it was likely that he would never come back here.

This had been his home for eighteen years; could he really just up in leave in the dead of night? Was it moral to walk away from all that he had ever known? From the father who hadn't cared enough about him and his sister to raise them? From the sister who beat him up when _she_ forgot to put new batteries into her GS3?

Well. That answered that. He turned back to the fully-opened door and left his home behind. He punched in the coordinates for Idaho Falls, Idaho and leaned back in the chair, sighing as the auto-pilot took over. Time for some sleep; it would take at least fifteen minutes to get there. Might as well get some rest before he reached his destination.

Unbeknownst to Dib, Gaz had opened her window and watched her brother hover inside the garage for a moment before jettisoning off to find Zim. She rested her purple-haired head on the ledge and smirked.

"Go find your boyfriend, Dib. Good luck." She whispered to him, even though he could no longer hear her voice. She knew he wouldn't be coming back, ever; she had known since the moment she had planted the idea in his mind to go find Zim. It bothered her a bit that her brother was gone but not too much so.

Now she would always get the last slice of pizza, damn it all.

* * *

Zim watched the entire concert with wide eyes and an open mouth. The choirs were all so _amazing_; he couldn't believe his ears! It was so beautiful and the pianist was doing a perfect job. Mike sat stoically next to him the entire time, watching it with interested eyes. Tony seemed to have disappeared, leaving them alone to enjoy the concert; this didn't bother either of the boys very much. In fact, they were rather glad he wasn't there to ruin it for them. 

It was nearing the end of the concert. Zim looked down at the pamphlet that had given everyone at the doors. He read the name of the song (Alle, Alle) and found that this was the song Bria had a solo in. He turned his eyes back up to the stage and listened to the choir on the main stage ("Chamber choir." Mike had whispered to him earlier.) A red-headed girl was singing a solo and Zim was completely entranced; all of these choir kids were amazing!

All too soon, the song ended and everyone clapped ecstatically. The entire auditorium was filled with people and this surprised Zim even more. Even the parents in his old town hadn't come to their children's choir performances! Poor Todd Casil had had a nervous break-down because of it and stopped attending school.

The applause died down and Mrs. Lemon motioned to three people in the choirs on-stage. Out of the one's on the right stepped down Bria, wearing a black and white dress and looking decidedly nervous. Oh, not everyone would be able to see the anxiety in her stride and the slight shake of her fingers. But Mike and Zim both noticed and they turned to each other in confusion.

Since when did Bria get nervous?

The song started. It was a cappella and only accompanied by some sort of tribal drums. But these kinds of songs were Zim's favorite and he listened intently. The first solo, song by a young girl with brown hair, went by rather quickly. Then the second soloist, a tall teenage boy this time, sang his piece. Finally, it was Bria's turn.

"We've got the power of lovin'," She began, her pitch having gone up a whole step, yet staying perfectly in tune. The rest of the choirs responded, "**That makes us strong!**" The alien was amazed; this girl had been so nervous, yet her voice was so pretty!

Zim watched the exchange with fascination as they responded to her key change. Perhaps it was planned? Mike was grinning like a fool and Zim knew it had been completely planned. This made him grin.

"Workin' with each other," She continued and got a raucous, "**We can't go wrong!**" as a result. A grin seemed to set in and she sang the last part loudly.

"We've got the power of lovin' **that makes us strong. Alle-lu-ia!**" She walked back into her normal choir, grinning like a maniac and singing the rest of the song through. It was all over too quickly and Zim was one of the first people to stand up and applaud, matching Bria grin for grin. Mike was standing up as well, searching out his girlfriend and giving her a smile.

The last song they sang was the one Zim had heard in the choir room when he was touring the school. Apparently, it was tradition for the audience to sing along with the choirs. Zim tried to remember the words and sing it by heart so it would make that much more of a difference in his life, even for such a short amount of time…

It seemed so strange; Zim was becoming more and more human. And he was happier because of it. It made him wonder sometimes if being part of Irken society was really that great…

* * *

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed chapter five! And yes, I know Natalie as well. I thought it was rude to continue asking her to read my story and not really being able to add her two cents. -smiles- Here's to you, Natalie! See you over Spring Break, my Pinja Ruler! 

Please review. It makes me a happy Teya.


	8. Chapter 6: Welcome To My Life

Hello all! First of all, I just want to say: OMG I'M SO SORRY! -bows low to the ground- I'm a very bad author. I went past my deadline of three days! I'm sorry, please forgive me! I promise to write the entire seventh chapter tonight and put it up tomorrow! I PROMISE! Or I'll force myself to draw a picture of one of the scenes in my story. And you can all laugh at the drawings horribleness.

I will have to extend that deadline from three days to five days now, though. I'm sorry! -hides- I just have so much homework weighing me down! Give me some time! (Damn you AP Psychology! Damn youuuu! -falls to her knees in mock-drama- Oh, the horror of the retinas!)

This chapter is eight pages even. w00t and stuffs. ;D Some very evil stuff is revealed about Tony. Try not to hate him too much!

The song "Welcome To My Life" is copyright of Simple Plan. But I love it sooo much.

This chapter is dedicated to **aichakuMEC** for art in the works and **Natalie** for reading my story and still loving it. -smiles

So, without further ado (and after the long Author's note,) here is Chapter 6 of "Go The Distance!"

* * *

CHAPTER 6: WELCOME TO MY LIFE 

It had been a few days since the concert. Zim was sitting at the table, eating some of Gir's world-famous waffles and trying not to be sick. The obedience chip he had fashioned for the crazed robot had broken the day before; the alien wasn't quite sure whether he enjoyed having his companion back or if he should strangle the stupid hunk of tin. He was undecided on this, however, and chose to leave things as they were for now.

He hadn't seen Bria since Monday and it was now Thursday; had she forgotten about him after dropping him off at his new home? Zim supposed it didn't matter but he was beginning to get a little bored. Perhaps it was time to tinker around in the lab? He hadn't been down there since he moved here…

Sunlight filtered into the newly designed dining room from windows installed in the ceiling. A glittering sunray illuminated the entire area, showing off a gleaming oak table laden with china plates filled with waffles. Five chairs were unoccupied and Zim sat at the one most people would consider the "head of the family" chair.

Zim grumbled loudly and ate the only waffle left, feeling his stomach rejecting it to the last breakfasty bite. He gagged a little but managed to swallow it all and keep it down. Sighing in relief that the traumatizing waffle-eating was over, he stood up and stretched, his arms reaching towards the sky lights.

Today, he had gone all-out on his outfit: a black and pink striped shirt, his traditional black gloves, and a pair of hip-hugging black jeans with pink hemming. His shoes were also striped, matching his long-sleeved shirt. He had even indulged himself and placed a pink barrette in his hair to hold it out of his eyes.

Yawning, he walked out of the room. Gir began whining, beating a plate of waffles against Zim's leg. The steaming bread pieces slid off and the robot screamed. Zim growled and covered his antenna. Just as he was about to strange the idiot thin, the doorbell rang.

"Whee-hoo! Is the chocolate milk man with mah MONKIES!" Gir screeched, rushing to the door. Zim stumbled after him, trying to stop his robot from exposing them as anything other than normal. But he was too late; Gir grabbed the brass door knob and threw the door open. Bria was standing there, her eyes wide in surprise. The crazed hunk of tin launched himself forward and clung to the girl's leg, squeaking in joy.

The force of impact made Bria fall down the porch steps, landing on her butt with a small "oomph!" Zim raced outside and helped her up, glaring daggers at Gir. Now he would have to take Bria hostage and erase her memories-

"Wow, Zim! Is that a robot?!" She cried excitedly as she stood up, holding her arms out to Gir, who instantly jumped up into the embrace. Zim stood there, completely floored by her reaction. As far as he knew, humans couldn't create such advanced technology! Shouldn't she have been cowering in fear or something?

"Uh, yes, that is a, uh, a robot… Yes, yes… Would you come inside, please?" He said awkwardly, looking at her as if she would up and run. He was prepared, though, if she tried. Besides, being so large, he didn't think she could get very far.

"Oh, yeah, sure." She said happily, oblivious to Zim's strangeness. She entered the house, cuddling Gir like she was used to seeing robots. Gir was giggling like a maniac and chattering on and on about tacos. Zim walked in behind them, closing the door and secretly locking it.

"So, did you build him or something?" She said once she had taken a seat on the dark blue couch. Zim watched her warily; if his disguise had been off, his antenna would have been at half-mast in peak alertness.

"No, he was given to me by… some old friends." He finished lamely, looking at Bria's face to see if she bought it. She wasn't really listening to him though, her attention focused solely on the robot in her arms. Then her eyes grew wide and she stopped, looking at him with understanding in her auburn orbs.

"Where's Gir?" She asked, her expression turning neutral. Zim almost cursed aloud but managed to keep his expletives to himself. He sighed and ran a hand through his fake black hair.

"You're holding him." He said shortly, keeping his eyes focused on her to see her reaction. He was almost disappointed when she didn't freak out. Instead, she just said, "Oh" in a small voice and turned back to Gir, who was climbing down from her lap.

"Gir!" Zim barked, standing up and looking down at the little robot with authority. Gir turned to him instantly, his eyes becoming a rich red color. _Everything else breaks but his stupid obedience._ Zim thought grumpily.

Bria was watching him with wide eyes. The Zim she knew was quiet, shy, and slightly crazy. But this was a completely different side of him and she wasn't quite sure she liked this "apathetic leader" image he was portraying.

"Go into the kitchen and make me and Bria some kind of food." Gir's eyes returned to normal and he grinned, nodding happily and rushing off to do his work. "And don't put soap in it this time!" He called after the silver blur. Sighing, he sat back down on the couch and gave Bria a weak grin. But she seemed to be finally realizing what she was seeing and she was very tense.

"Zim… that… that's _amazing_ technology. That's _artificial intelligence_. And you're telling me some 'old friends' made and gave him to you?" Her tone was suspicious and she was looking at him guardedly. "Uh-uh, I don't buy it. You're part of the government, aren't you?"

Zim gave her a strange look before breaking into raucous laughter. Tears of mirth began to stream from his eyes and Bria watched him, slowly relaxing. She was practically given the answer on a silver platter and all she came up with was that he was part of the filthy human government?

"Oh, yes, I'm part of your stupid government, all right. I enjoy being an idiot, which would be why I joined. I was told I needed an F average and I said, 'Hell! I have straight Fs! I'm perfect for the job!'" Zim said between gasps of breath and random giggles. Bria gave a rueful smile.

"Yeah, I guess that was pretty stupid… But that doesn't explain how smart Gir is or where you got him from. I mean, the most advanced thing I've seen is a house with pre-recorded answers to your questions. And that was only on TV." She gave him a look that said, "Start talking" and he almost winced at the seriousness in her eyes. For such a silly girl, she was certainly very attentive! He decided to go with the safe answer; it wasn't exactly the best but it explained things and kept his identity secret.

"I can't tell you." Zim said simply, looking her dead in the eyes. A look of surprise flashed across her face, and then filtered back to its stoic appearance. Her eyes roved over his face, looking for a crack in his perfect mask. Then she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It was a sign that she had given up.

"Yeah… I guess I understand. And I'm guessing you don't want anyone to know, right?" She said, keeping her gaze safe and guarded. Zim showed his shock for the first time that day and nodded. He didn't know why but this human seemed more trustworthy than others. Perhaps he wouldn't need to erase the memories in her normal-sized head.

This made his heart squeeze again in pain. He missed home more and more each day. While Grand Haven was pretty, it just wasn't the same without Dib there to torment him.

"All right then… Well, back to why I actually came here today." A grin broke across her face. It wasn't as genuine as it normally was but it wasn't forced, at least. Zim smiled back slightly; it seemed he was forgiven, if only a little bit.

"You need to register at the high school!" She said, her grin growing a little bit more evil. Zim's own smile faltered and completely disappeared, replaced by open-mouthed shock. Then he pouted and shook his head fiercely.

"Zim refuses to go to school!" He shouted, standing on the cushions and pointing to the sky. "It is full of filthy teenagers and lessons that I do not need to learn!" Then, as calmly as if the outburst had never happened, he sat down, crossing his legs in a very girly manner. Bria watched this all with a bemused expression. She leaned back and rested her elbow on the arm of the couch.

"As much as I'm sure you hate school, you still need to register. I'm forcing you to. C'mon!" She added when his mouth set into a mulish line. "It'll be fun! You can have all the same classes as I do, ok? Well, except for choir but that's beside the point!"

Bria frowned when he just crossed his arms across his chest and turned his head away. "Stop acting like a spoiled child, get off your ass, and get in the car!" She finally cried out in exasperation. Grabbing his hand, she forcefully dragged him to the door. Too surprised at her sudden strength, he offered no resistance until they reached the car.

"I don't wanna go!" Zim whined, digging his heels into the ground and effectively stopping the girl from bringing him any farther. He was doing exactly what she had said he was doing; only now he was throwing a tantrum.

"It's boring and all of the kids are complete assholes!" He said, trying to jerk his arm out of her firm grip. He succeeded but only because she let him go. She sighed again in frustration, and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples firmly; a headache was coming and it was a strong one. This would take three Advil.

"Zim." Bria said, looking back up at him. Her eyes were full of wisdom that a young woman her age shouldn't have. "You just moved here. You have no friends, no family, and no job, as far as I know. You're going to get bored very, _very_ quickly. Believe me, I'd _love_ to stop going to school. But I have to go; I need to get into college. So please, stop arguing and just get in the car." She motioned with one hand towards the passenger door and raised one eyebrow, as if daring him to say something against her.

Instead, he cringed at her chastisement, then meekly opened the car door and slid in. Scary he could handle. Intimidating he could handle. But being proven wrong by a girl a few hundred years his junior? That just wasn't in the Invader handbook!

As the car pulled out of the driveway, Gir walked out of the kitchen wearing a frilly pink apron. He saw no one was there and knew the doors had been locked automatically. He shoulders slumped and he was suddenly very sad.

"Aw. They didn't eateded my grape mustard..." Then he perked up and ran back into the kitchen, screaming, "Imma make them tacos for when the get back!"

* * *

Dib entered the mall, his dark gold eyes scanning the map quickly to see where he needed to go. Nodding in satisfaction, he made his way down to the store the girl online had told him about. Both had agreed that it was a good idea to meet in a public place for security. 

Finally, he found the place he was looking for: Hot Topic. He was even dressed appropriately for the occasion: all black, including his trench coat. There were no graphics on his skin-tight shirt, just a solid darkness that cut off at the beginning of his neck.

He entered the store cautiously, keeping a lookout for this "Natalie" girl. He had studied her picture a few times so he would know what to be looking for.

Dib was still surprised when he found her standing by the nail polish and watching him with an amused expression. Then a faint blush settled on his cheeks. Besides Gaz, he had never really talked to a girl before.

Shit.

"Hey." She said calmly, nodding at him in greeting. "You're Dib, right? If not, you can just tell me I'm crazy or something." Dib watched her dark-haired head bob up and down as she talked; she seemed easily excitable.

"Uh, yeah, that's me… Which means you're Natalie, correct?" Dib wanted to throw himself out of a window for acting like such an idiot. He thought he would sound a LOT more confident. But no, he was just being a typical shy guy and stumbling over his words, then coming across as a total nerd.

"Yep!" She said cheerfully, grinning at him. "You're blushing." She added the statement as if she were saying the sky was blue. This made Dib's cheeks turn even redder and he stuttered unintelligibly for a moment before getting out, "S-sorry." She just laughed and waved a hand at him in dismissal.

"Whatever. It's actually kinda cute, in a way. Well, whatever. You came to my awesome pinja cave to learn where this Zim kid is, right?" She said, her tone turning from playful to seriously playful in nothing flat. Dib was startled and then nodded, wondering what in the hell was a pinja.

"Uh, yes. Did you bring him along or…?" He trailed off, seeing the look on her face. "What's the matter?" He said, watching her closely for any sign that would tell him what was going on.

"Well, I've got some bad news." She said, suddenly looking very nervous. Dib raised an eyebrow, feeling his embarrassment fading into confusion and slight fear. Had something happened to Zim? This thought made his stomach flip. If Zim was hurt, or worse-

"Seems this new kid's name is Cody, not Zim. And when I looked at your friend's picture again, I noticed they looked completely different from each other." Natalie fidgeted a little bit, then smiled awkwardly and added, "Sorry you came here for nothing, Dib."

Dib looked at her for a moment, and then sighed in relief. The sledge hammer that had been beating on his heart eased slightly. Even if Zim wasn't here, at least there was a good possibility that he was alive and safe.

"It's ok, I understand. Don't worry about it." He said, giving her the first genuine smile he'd had in days. She looked at him in shock for a moment and then smiled back hesitantly.

"I've gotta get going…" He said, turning into the awkward teenage boy again. But his smile remained. "I got some more hits last night and I've got a few more places to check out before the day ends. Thanks for the help." Giving her a small wave, he began to walk away.

Natalie watched him leave; she felt bad for having dragged him to Idaho for nothing. Even if he hadn't been bothered by it, she still felt slightly guilty about it. And then, like a lightning bolt, a thought shot through her head. It might be nothing… Then again, it could be everything Dib was looking for.

"Wait!" She cried out suddenly, rushing after him. Dib jumped a little and turned to her, surprise and confusion evident on his face. He had been going towards the food court for a quick bit and being mauled by a "pinja" wasn't quite in his eating plans.

"Wait." She said again, breathlessly. "I just remembered something."

"Yeah?" Dib said, his attention caught. Natalie took a deep breath.

"I have a cousin – well, she's not _really_ my cousin, more like a step-cousin… Anyways, she was telling me about this new kid that just moved to her town. I don't know if I'm remembering his name right but I think she said his name was Zim." She said in a rush, still slightly out of breath.

Dib blinked in confusion; he hadn't understood a single word she'd spoken, and said as much. The dark-haired girl gave herself a few seconds to calm down, then explained it to him again. His eyes became the size of golden golf balls.

"She lives in Grand Haven, Michigan and her name is Brianne. She's on my friends list on Myspace. Why don't you talk to her? You never know, she might know something." Natalie said, hoping that her information would make up for the fact that Dib had traveled to Idaho for nothing. She watched as a grin stretched across his face.

"I'll go there next, then. Thanks, Natalie." Dib held out a hand, not realizing that most teenagers didn't shake each other's hands. There was an awkward silence for a second. Then Natalie reached forward and shook his hand lightly.

"Good luck, Dib. I hope you find him…" She let go of his hand and paused for a second, then asked, "Are you in love with him?" Dib looked at her for a moment, and then grinned again.

"I'll tell you when I find him." A swirl of black material and he was gone, leaving no trace of himself to be found. Natalie watched him walk out the front doors, a small smile on her face. She whispered something, and then walked back to Hot Topic.

"Good luck, Dib…"

* * *

Returning home that night, Bria felt amazingly grumpy. Her car door slammed shut, the flashing light of the clock inside reading "9:40" in neon-green letters. 

It had taken five trips between the school and Zim's house to get everything he needed to enroll. Each time they returned to the house, he took longer and longer to come back from his mysterious basement that Bria was forbidden to enter.

During their fourth visit, and after being told firmly to _stay put_ after she tried sneaking downstairs with him, Bria became decidedly bored. Even Gir's wild antics grew redundant after a while. She knew Zim would be down there for at least forty-five minutes, even though it shouldn't take that long to find a birth certificate. She was beginning to regret the fact that she had wasted her day off from school, just to enroll a crazy person into her high school.

After three minutes, she decided it was high time that she explored the second floor. Without thinking about it, she jumped up from the couch and made her way to the tall, oak staircase. She skipped up the steps and found herself standing in a narrow hallway. There were three doors, each one closed. Feeling curiosity eating away at her, she walked towards the first one on the right.

Inside, she found a very elaborate bathroom. The bathtub was so large that it resembled a small hot tub. Everything was decorated in pale greens and yellows. The fluffy towels on the rack besides the tub were a dark forest green with a strange symbol imprinted on the middle-bottom. It looked a lot like an alien but she disregarded that. Zim was just a little eccentric, that's all.

She turned off the lights and closed the door, already heading for the next one, which she was disappointed to find was locked. Pouting a little, Bria headed for the last door. It swung open easily and she almost gasped.

It was a large bedroom. Everything was in deep shades of red, magenta, and blue. The bed itself had a pure white, gossamer canopy that gently sloped off to the sides. It hid the dark magenta comforter and sheets. To the right of the bed was a small bedside table stained a deep chocolate brown. Lying next to the tiny lamp was the blue notebook she had seen the first time she had ever entered his house.

Picking it up slowly, as if Bria feared Zim would come up and find her any second now, she noticed that there were a few pale pink splotches on the dark blue cover. She frowned slightly; was that frosting or something? But no, it couldn't have been, because frosting would have stuck out. Whatever had caused the stains was mostly water.

Looking around quickly, she dashed down the stairs two at a time, went to the car, and threw the book into the trunk. She slammed the trunk shut and raced back inside, out of breath completely. That much weight was not supposed to move that fast.

Luckily, by the time Zim finally emerged from the basement with birth certificate in hand fifteen minutes later, Bria had regained her composure. Luckier still was the fact that Gir hadn't noticed her rushing between vehicle and home. The robot had an innate ability to speak about anything and everything.

Now, standing in her driveway, Bria remembered borrowing the notebook. _Stealing, more like._ Her conscious whispered to her as she opened up the trunk, retrieving the dark blue pad of paper. _Shut up._ She replied to herself, and then wondered why she was literally talking to herself.

_Great. I am going crazy. I guess it's a disease that you can catch really easily. Especially if you're near Zim._

Sighing to release some of her anger, she shut the trunk and entered her house quietly. She knew her parents wouldn't care that she was getting home later than expected but she didn't want to wake up her little brother. She tip-toed to her room and threw the notebook on her bed.

The bedroom was intense and vibrant, each wall a different shade: lime green, bright orange, midnight blue, and gold-yellow. Bria sat down at a small desk and turned on a small silver laptop. While it booted up, she stood and grabbed the notebook, now very interested as to what it said. She turned to the fist page and her eyes widened.

_**Property of Dib Membrane**_

_**DO NOT READ**_

Confusion raced through her brain; who was this Dib Membrane? Was he related to that one famous professor? Curious, she flipped to the next page and saw that it was a journal entry. Feeling a little guilty, she began to read with great inquisitiveness.

_Dear Diary,_

_Today was a pretty bad day, per normal. But it was worse than I had expected it to be. Zita spotted me walking out of the bookstore with you in hand, as well as that stupid pen Zim gave me a few weeks ago. As I write this down, I bet she's running about and telling everyone that what they've suspected for years is true:_

_Dib Membrane is more than just "not all that interested in girls."_

_He's flaming gay._

_Which is total bullshit._

_Ok, so maybe some things I do could be considered "gay" but more in the stupid way than the homosexual way. One of these things being the whole "I'm a paranormal investigator" stuff and chasing after an alien bent on world domination. But if they knew the truth, they'd be trying to chase him out of town too._

_Don't know who "he" is? I'll tell you after I'm done with the rest of this journal._

_Today, Zim and I got in a big fight, the first one in about a year. I don't know why but he calmed down suddenly during eighth grade and never really got excited about anything anymore. He stopped talking about… a lot of things. I was beginning to worry that he had lost his fighting spirit!_

_It was really strange, though. He seemed like he was about to break down and cry. I don't know what I said but… it really upset him. I feel guilty now, although I shouldn't. He and I have been bitter enemies since the day he first came to skool in his bad Elvis wig._

_I suppose you guessed who this "he" is by now. Zim is my obsession, though. I've been trying to prove that he's an alien since fifth grade. Starting last year, though (which was, by the way, eighth grade,) he began to change his disguise. Now he masquerades as a normal human with pale skin, his "skin condition" finally treated. Still no ears and nose, though. And the Elvis wig remains, as well._

_Poor Zim. He really has no idea what humans are like. I'd pity him if I didn't already hate him._

_I have to say, though, I'm getting increasingly bored. He hasn't been himself at all lately and I'm starting to get worried. I haven't heard a death threat in about six months now. And all of his speeches about taking over our "filthy dirt-planet" haven't been heard in about a year now. I can't even remember the last time he plotted something._

_I'm working on installing some more spy cameras into his house. More for personal reasons, though. I want to see if he's any different at home than at skool. From what I've gathered, Gir and this little purple moose thing (I think he calls it Mini-Moose?) are his only friends. He doesn't ever leave his house, except to go to skool. Maybe he's become an agoraphobic?_

_Good news: I finally found the ghost in that abandoned church yesterday. Bad news: He tried to stab me with a letter opener. I'll have to return tomorrow with some exorcism equipment. I was too busy today buying you._

_Sadly enough, I think you're my only friend. Depressing, right? Oh well. I prefer your cold pages to my peers any day. At least you can't chatter on about sex and drugs._

_Dad's gone at some meeting for the next three weeks, so Gaz and I are fending for ourselves. Said it was going to improve the morale of the working class or something. I don't know why he doesn't just disown us and let us live in peace for once. I mean, most of the time he just sleeps at the lab. He can't even call this his home anymore. And if he left us alone, he wouldn't keep pestering me to get some anti-depressants._

_Whatever. It doesn't matter. I'm not depressed OR crazy. I'm just misunderstood, as all teenagers are._

_-Dib_

Bria looked at the page, her mind wiped blank by the words she had just read. She read the entire entry again, and then another time just to make sure she had read it right. Her breathing got a bit faster during the third reading and her eyes widened in shock. Could this Dib kid be right?

Then she giggled quietly to herself, relaxing quite a bit. Dib probably just didn't like Zim and pretended he was an alien. It certainly would make it easier to dislike Zim, which was hard in and of itself.

She frowned slightly and set the book aside, feeling guilty for having taken it now. She promised to return it to Zim tomorrow and stood up, stretching. Her eyes flicked to the bright red numbers of her alarm clock, which read "9:57 PM." She still had time to take a shower.

Bria gathered a pair of pajamas and made her way to the bathroom quietly, trying not to disturb her sleeping family. She entered the small room quickly and shut the door, turning the lights on quickly. She threw the clothes on the ground and got out two bright red towels: one for her body and one for her dark, thick hair, which got wet enough to need a towel of its own.

She turned to the mirror and looked at herself. Her shoulders slumped when she saw her reflection; she was never satisfied with her appearance and was sure she never would be. Finding every little thing wrong with her body was a masochistic hobby of hers.

_I'm extremely fat, I have black circles under my eyes, big thighs, stretch marks… Why does Tony like me, anyways? _Bria felt herself getting more and more depressed as she looked at the reflective glass, searching for her imperfections.

Slowly, she took off her shirt. Dark bruises appeared on her sides and stomach, some barely formed and others a shadowy violet outlined in yellow. She winced as she looked at the injuries she'd received. Every time Tony hit her, she couldn't stop him from doing it again, even when he promised that it would never happen ever again. She ran long fingers over the biggest one, which was located on her hip.

"Ow…" Bria hissed, her hand retreating quickly as the light touch shot pain up through her thigh. She winced as the faint tingles continued to emanate from the spot. Her heart began to constrict and she held back a sob.

_He'll change one day. I know he will…_

_

* * *

_

A/N: There you go! Yes, I rather hate Tony at the moment as well.

So, I need to beg at the moment: I would love if you, the reviewers, got some more people to read this. I'm a new author, so not many people know me.

Well, please review! -smiles- Your reviews (-cough- and fanart -cough-) are pretty much what have been keeping me smiling for the last two weeks.


	9. Chapter 7: Against All Odds

Hey guys!

I'm sorry for the bad quality of this particular chapter. i'm completely brain dead and just cannot think straight. xx;

"Against All Odds" is copyright of Phil Collins. Yeah. Thats about it.

Chapter is dedicated to **Samantha The Entertainer** for trading chapter for chapter. You should go read her story, "Blood And Brains." Its a Nyy/Jhonen story and there are smut scenes comin' up -happiness-

and now, without further ado, chapter 7 of "Go The Distance!"

* * *

CHAPTER 7: AGAINST ALL ODDS 

Zim stood in front of the school nervously, fidgeting ever-so-slightly. Bria wasn't there yet and he was starting to get more and more anxious about the upcoming school day. He just _knew_ he was going to do something stupid and everyone would find out about him and-

"Zim!" A voice called behind him. He turned, hoping it was Bria. But no, it was Tony. Zim grinned as he saw the boy walk up to him, both glaring daggers at each other. Tony was wearing a cast over his nose and not looking overly happy about it.

"You asshole." Tony hissed, bringing them almost nose to nose, but not daring to get that close. Zim didn't back away, his eyes narrowing in hate. But still the smirk remained.

"Yes, Zim knows he's amazing." He replied arrogantly, watching the other's movements carefully. Tony's hands clenched and unclenched in suppressed anger, which Zim noted with relative surprise. Had this been Torque, a blow would have already been struck.

"I'll get you for this, I swear to God. I'll make sure to make your life miserable every fucking step of the way, you little gay ass-wipe." Tony snarled, his eyes glittering with fury. Zim's grin was wiped clean off his face and he growled low in his throat.

"At least I didn't get a broken nose from a… what did you call me again? Ah, yes, a 'gay little ass-wipe.' Even by my standards, that's pretty pathetic." Zim's zippered teeth spread wide in a grin and, lightning fast, he reached up and flicked Tony's nose. The other boy's eyes grew wide and he yelped in agony, backing away from the Invader-in-disguise hurriedly. Reflexive tears gathered in the corner of his eyes and he lunged for Zim.

"You fucker!" He whisper-screamed, colliding with the alien and knocking them both to the ground. Zim's eyes widened and he fell back, landing hard. Then he snarled, rolling until he was on top of the other boy. Tony screeched in mindless rage, trying to claw at Zim's face but Zim had already pinned his hands to the sidewalk.

"Stop it!" He hissed, putting his face right in front of Tony's. Bria's boyfriend stopped struggling and looked up at the alien with unbridled loathing. Zim gave him a hard look, then added, "If you keep this up, you're going to get us both expelled. And Bria doesn't seem like the kind of girl to date high school drop-outs."

"Let. Me. Up." Tony snarled through clenched teeth, trying to get out of the strong grip placed on him. Zim looked at him, unimpressed, then sighed and stood up, brushing himself off as he did so. Tony scrambled up and away, almost falling over in his haste. Zim would have laughed, had it not seemed like such a Dib thing to do.

"Tony." A cold voice said from behind Zim. If the alien had been human, the hairs on the back of his neck would have been standing up straight by now. The boy being addressed looked at someone behind Zim, his eyes widening considerably.

"B-Bria." He stuttered, thrown off balance by her sudden appearance. "You're early today." Zim stepped to the side and watched the growing fight unfold. A group had gathered around the two boys before when Tony had launched himself at the "new kid." More people began to join the circle, waiting for a potential break-up.

"Oh, and how glad I am." She hissed, her voice crackling with pent-up rage. Tony winced at the anger in her voice. Then he regained his composure and stood up tall, glaring at Zim.

"I didn't do anything." He said loudly, looking at the ex-Invader with malicious intent. "Zim broke my nose the other day and I was just getting him back." He smirked at his new enemy as the other's eyes widened, then narrowed to indigo slits.

"I wouldn't have had to break your nose if you weren't indulging in your barbaric tendencies so common to your race." Zim said calmly, stating the fact as if he didn't care what Bria thought of him. She didn't even turn to him, however, her eyes still on Tony.

"What sort of 'barbaric tendencies' are we talking about, here?" She asked, her gaze not wavering for a second. The dark-haired boy across from her began to shift nervously, having never heard that tone of voice used on him before.

"He made the assumption that you were property, to be used and demeaned as he pleased. I believe his exact words were, 'she's mine and nobody else's to play with.' If anything, I punched him in _your_ defense." Zim said, sounding a little defensive himself. And still Bria didn't move; neither forward, backward, or otherwise. But, almost unconsciously, she was clenching and unclenching her hands.

"I see." She said through gritted teeth, sparks of rage seeming to fly from her eyes in torrents. Then all hell broke loose.

"You _fucker_!" She screamed, throwing her hands into the air and advancing on him in slow, steady steps. For all her anger, she was being extremely careful to wait for the right moment to hit him. "I fucking _trusted_ you! I believed _you_ were telling me the truth! And all you ever saw me was as a fucking _toy_?! Something to play with and when I finally broke and had sex with you, you'd just _leave_ me?!"

Before a single blow could be struck against Tony, a tiny pixie-ish figure sprinted forward and tried pulling Bria back. The bigger girl thrashed wildly against the grip, managing to land a close-fisted punch against Tony's cheek.

"Let me go, Jess!" She screeched, managing to whip the girl in the face in her blind wrath. Jess was quickly followed by Mike and Vee. All three struggled to hold the enraged girl back; she was kicking and screaming, yet tears were pouring down her face in torrents. Finally, she collapsed on the ground in convulsive sobs. Tony took a tentative step backward, then found that a path had cleared and ran for his life.

"Coward!" She yelled after him, trying to get back up and catch him before he could get away. This time, she managed to break out of their grip for a second. Sensing her chance at freedom, she lunged forward, only to be stopped by Zim.

"Let me the fuck go, Zim! Let me go get that asshole! LET ME _GO_!" On the last word, she tried yanking her hand out of his strong grip. Zim grimaced as he heard a few bones creak and pop, yet nothing broke. He managed to keep her in place; it seemed Invader training had pulled off.

"Bria." He said softly as she continued to strain against his grip. That one word made her stop altogether. She looked at him with eyes full of sorrow before falling to the ground, hiccupping sobs all the way down. The other three watched this silently, then tentatively made their way to their friend. Jess and Vee knelt down next to her and held the broken girl tightly. Mike just watched, looking completely helpless, as did Zim.

The crowd began to disperse, murmuring how boring that fight had been. They wished the group hadn't intervened; bets had been made, after all. The interference had made all bets null and void. The para-pros (1) made their way forward to the girl, who was crying hysterically. They needed to get her to a counselor, and soon.

They had never encountered a situation like this before…

Hours later, the four were found sitting on a couch at Bria's house. While it seemed the other three had been there before, Zim had not and was very curious. He wanted to explore but he knew that wouldn't be an option at the moment. The minute she had been brought home by her parents and sat down in the corner seat, she hadn't moved a muscle. She just stared despondently at the wall, as if nothing else existed.

"When do you think she'll move?" Vee whispered almost inaudibly to Mike, who just shrugged in response. Zim heard it, though, and turned to them, glaring a little. He made a shushing motion, yet uttered no sound. He was sitting on the exact opposite end of the large couch, watching Bria as if she were one of his test subjects. He'd always been curious about how human relationships affected one's ability to go about the day normally.

Seemed he was getting first-hand experience.

"I heard that." Bria spoke up suddenly, her voice raspy from all the crying she had done. All three jumped and looked at her, hoping she would stand up and declare that she was fine, yet knowing she wouldn't. She sighed harshly, the air whooshing out of her lungs.

"Bria?" Jess asked softly, gently touching the other girl's arm. A very faint bruise was outlined on the tanned skin, a mark of how tight they had held her. Bria just shifted slightly and remained silent for another few minutes.

"You all should go home." She finally spoke up, looking away from their surprised faces. She didn't want to see the concern and worry there; it was just too shameful. "Or go back to school. Don't worry about me," She added, smiling dimly. "I'll be fine. I'm just in shock, that's all." Her speech was starting to slur together, as if she had a tough time getting the words to come out in English. And still no one moved.

"I owe y'all an apology." She continued, still not facing them. They all looked at each other worriedly. Her tone was so dead, so devoid of emotion; it didn't sound like the chipper, obnoxiously happy girl at all. "You all warned me about T-him and… I'm sorry. I should have listened to you." At least the apology sounded sincere.

"Don't apologize, Bria." Vee said comfortingly, getting up to pat Bria on the shoulder and give her a small hug, which the girl didn't return. She just moved forward when Vee pulled her there. Jess clung to her as well, while Zim and Mike just watched. Mike had a worried expression on and Zim was stoic, unable to look away from what most humans would call an "emotional train wreck."

"He was an ass, sure, but it's not your fault. He fooled a lot of people, your parents included. We all know how much you loved him-"Mike was cut off by Bria, who turned around and finally gained some emotion in her eyes. They were indignant and angry.

But before she could say a single word, the phone rang, making everyone jump. Bria blinked, then slowly turned to the screeching phone. She picked it up and pushed the talk button.

"H-hello?" She said, her tone questioning because she had forgotten to check the caller ID. There was a pause, and then a soft male voice came through the receiver.

"Hello… I-I'm sorry to bother you but… I'm looking for a Brianne Tyler?" the boy sounded anxious, yet hopeful; hesitant, but excited. Bria was confused; she didn't recognize the voice.

"Uh, yes, that's me… May I ask who's calling, please?" She said politely, giving the other four a "what-the-hell-is-going-on" face. They all just watched, entranced by the one-sided conversation.

"Oh! Um, my name is Dib… Dib Membrane. Your cousin Natalie gave me this number, told me you might be able to help me find someone…" He trailed off and Bria's eyes widened to the size of golf balls, her heart beginning to beat in overtime.

What the hell was going on here?

She jumped off the couch, gave everyone the "I'll-be-one-minute" speech, then rushed out of the room into her bedroom. She shut the door quickly, then sat down on the ground. They watched her leave with surprised eyes.

What the hell was going on here?!

"Uh, yes, um, yeah… How c-can I help you?" She asked shakily, her heart beating wildly against her chest. She heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end, as if he was steadying himself. However, her mind was too fogged up by the strangeness of the situation; she had his notebook lying right next to her, she was _talking_ to him, and he knew Zim.

Again, it was asked: _What the bloody hell was going on here?!_

"I'm… looking for someone… I…" A static-like noise came across the receiver, making her realize that he had just sighed. "Look, it… It would be a lot easier to have this conversation face-to-face. Is there a public place that I could meet you? I know this is strange," He added hastily, hearing her intake of breath as she was about to say something. "I know I sound like a complete psycho… But I really need your help. You're the only real lead I've had so far…" His voice petered out and he waited for her to say something.

Bria sat there in stunned silence, feeling her brain going into overdrive. Her entire day was blowing up in a multitude of colors and she didn't know what to expect. Should she meet him? Should she tell him to never call her again and hang up?

"I'm…" She started, then faltered. She was about to tell him that he had the wrong number and hang up the phone. Then she gathered what little courage she had remaining and said, "Meet me at the Jumpin' Java in-"She looked at her watch. "-half an hour. We'll… talk about this there." She said. The smile Dib must have been wearing could almost be heard through the phone.

"Thank you. I'll meet you there. It's on the main street downtown, right?" His tone was grateful and so full of innocent hope that Bria was glad she hadn't turned him down.

After giving him directions to the coffee shop where she had met Zim, she stood back up. She had to come up with a good story to get rid of the four teenagers sitting in her living room. She sighed heavily, then opened the door, surprised when no one was standing outside the thick slab of wood.

She had been expecting them to listen to the entire conversation.

All conversation stopped in the other room when Bria walked in. She must have looked as shell-shocked as she felt, because suddenly everyone was rushing up to her and begging to know what the phone call had been about. A reckless grin came across her face, and then she was putting on her shoes and sweatshirt.

"I can't tell you." She said, looking up at them with mischievous eyes. They were all startled; this could _not_ be the same girl that had been depressed as all get-out a few minutes ago. Jesus, the girl was a living oxymoron!

"It's a secret mission."

And then she was out the door, leaving them confused and angry that she hadn't told them anything. Sighing and grumbling in an annoyed manner, they all left the house. A soft silence descended on the home before the crackling of broken glass filled the still air…

* * *

Bria sat at a table inside the fashionable coffee shop, sipping on a glass of free water. The atmosphere was warm and teenage-friendly, with a young man playing a large piano and singing softly off to the side. 

She had been waiting for fifteen minutes now and Dib had five more minutes or he would be late. As she sat there, drinking the refreshing liquid, she reflected on the situation and how strange it was. Had it been any other day, she wouldn't have indulged in this kind of reckless behavior at all. But something was egging her on, showing her the path to go on for this situation.

Finally, a minute before the "tardy mark," a young man entered through the door. He was wearing a dark blue shirt, jeans of the same color, and a black trench coat. He shifted nervously, dark gold eyes darting back and forth. Bria watched him for a few seconds, then assumed this was probably Dib and waved shyly, giving him a small smile.

Dib watched the girl waving to him, eyes revealing his hesitance. Yet his feet brought him to the table and he returned the smile awkwardly. Hell, this entire situation was awkward.

But it was to find Zim. _It's all about Zim._ He thought, reaching across the table and extending a hand. Bria pressed her palm against his and grasped his hand tightly, giving it a firm squeeze before retreating. He stared in what could only be described as shock at her.

From the eyes of an outsider, she was rather large, with dark brown hair and eyes the color of chocolate. She had an oval-shaped face and two chins, yet remained looking beautiful in her own way. Her handshake had been incredibly strong and he hadn't been expecting it.

Who was this girl?

"Hey." She said softly, her voice a slightly high, girlish pitch. Dib nodded in greeting, then sat down, giving her another awkward smile. She returned in and they sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, neither knowing what to say.

"Bria! My shoe spouse!" Someone said and both Bria and Dib turned in surprise. A girl was standing next to their table, smiling happily. Bria recognized her instantly and responded with an ecstatic, "Shoe spouse!" before leaping up and giving the tall young woman a hug. Bria sat back down, grinning up at what Dib supposed was a friend of hers.

Wow, is this your boyfriend? Sure is cutie!" She winked and Bria blushed, shaking her head in an embarrassed manner. "Can I get you two something to eat? Or something drink, perhaps?" Dib shook his head and Bria responded in the negative.

"Thanks, though, Kittie. I'll come get ya if we start dying of hunger and thirst, though." Bria said, winking at her friend. Kittie just laughed and nodded, then went away to ask the next table the same questions.

"Sorry about that." Bria said, chuckling a little as she ran a hand through her hair. Dib just nodded, stunned at the way she had suddenly become so comfortable around him.

"Now I know I didn't come here to sit and not talk to someone." She said, getting right down to business. She raised an eyebrow and Dib almost winced at the suspicion in her eyes. "Start talking." Dib took a deep breath to steady himself.

"I'm looking for someone… He ran away from home about a week ago and I've been looking for him ever since." He didn't mention the fact that the first two days he'd been too depressed to get out of bed. "Natalie told me that a new kid moved here several days ago and… And that his name was Zim. Is… Is that the name of the new kid?" He asked hopefully, looking at her with shiny eyes. He wanted this week from hell to be over and to just see Zim again.

Bria's eyes opened wide (they'd been doing that a lot lately, huh?) She stared at him, completely stumped. Her mind stopped working completely and for a moment, all was completely still. Chocolate met caramel.

And then all hell broke loose.

"Wh-what?! _Zim_?! As in the crazy- No way. You've gotta be shitting me. There's gotta be a million different Zims out there! But… But that would explain the notebook." The last part she said to herself quietly, as if she forgot Dib was sitting there. Then she shook her head and looked at Dib with wide eyes. "Not that Zim. Tell me it's not the crazy emo kid who calls other people humans like he's not one. Not the one you called an alien because you didn't like him.

"Tell me that's not the same Zim."

It was Dib's turn to sit in stunned silence. Zim was here. _Zim_ was _HERE._ He almost couldn't believe it. And the little green turd had let Bria read his notebook! A feeling of ecstatic joy flooded through his system and he jumped up.

"That bastard! He let you _read_ that?!" The words escaped him before he could stop them. But a crazy grin was spreading across his face, one full of triumph. "I can't believe I found him." He sat back suddenly, a frown breaking over the smile. Bria watched him, then slumped in her chair.

"I bet you wanna see him, huh?" She said softly, keeping her gaze averted. She didn't speak the words she so desperately wanted to say.

_You're taking him home, aren't you?_

Dib nodded, looking at her imploringly. He put all of his desperateness into his tone, watching her with puppy-dog eyes.

"Please." He said softly, watching her despondent movements. "I just want to see him. He's… all that I have left." Two drops of molten gold slid from her face, looking at the dark wood of the table. "He's my reason for living. I _have_ to see him." He couldn't watch her response. If she refused, if she rejected his request, he didn't know what he would do. He couldn't force her to do something she didn't want to do, yet… He just _had to _see Zim. There wasn't a choice.

"I'll… today. I'll invite him to my grandparent's house for dinner tonight. Y-you can wait in the garden… And when I bring him outside to see the flowers, you… you can surprise him o-or something. Yeah… that way, he can't run away as quickly…" Bria said, looking back up at him with a completely fake smile. "A-and then you can… b-bring him home." She turned her gaze back to her twiddling thumbs, unable to witness his reaction.

Zim was going home. There was nothing she could do about it. But she knew she'd miss her new friend a lot; he had brought the truth of Tony to her eyes and she knew she'd be grateful for that for a long time. He had brought the adventure that she had been craving for her entire life.

But then, suddenly, something clicked in her mind. She gripped the edge of the table and looked up at Dib wildly, who was about to reply. He stopped when he saw the look in her eyes, feeling very uneasy about the detached sense of shock in them.

"Zim… H-he… He _can't_ be an alien. That's crazy, right? I mean, he has a robot… And he… he refers to me as 'Bria-human' sometimes… But… he c-could just not like humanity o-or something… That's gotta be it, right?" She looked at Dib desperately, waiting for the answer and hoping it wasn't the one she knew was true. He watched her with wide eyes, then sighed and rubbed at the scythe lock on the top of his head.

"Can we have this discussion somewhere else, please? It… We shouldn't talk about it where others can hear." He said lowly, his gaze shifting between the other patrons of the coffee shop nervously. Bria just nodded and stood, stumbling slightly. She motioned for Dib to follow her and, surprised at her behavior, did so. They entered her blue Oldsmobile and drove off.

A few minutes later, Bria and Dib entered her house. Everything was quiet as late afternoon settled over the town. She collapsed on the couch, resting her head in her hands. Dib had explained everything in the car: the rivalry, Zim's mission; absolutely everything. Bria was in complete shock, unable to accept the truth.

"But his skin is pale, not green." She complained, her voice muffled by her hands. Dib didn't respond, just sat down on the ground and watched her warily. "And his eyes are this weird blue-purple color, not… not red. Please." She said desperately, removing her fingers from her eyes and looking at him imploringly. "Please, this can't be true. He's here to destroy the earth?" Dib shook his head.

"He hasn't tried to destroy the earth for a few years now. I don't know why but for some reason, he just lost interest. You can't tell anyone about his identity, Bria. You know you can't." Dib spoke over her mumbled mutinous comments. "He's your friend, right? Well… you have to keep his identity a secret to keep your friendship with him."

"Fine." She said, huffing in annoyance. But the grumpy manner was to hide her confusion. Her entire life had crumbled in a manner of minutes; everything she had grown up learning, that their planet was the only one with life on it, was a complete lie. To have that shoved in her face with nothing to break her fall was worse than Tony's betrayal.

"Here, sit down on the couch and watch TV or something… I have'ta call Zim still and invite him over for dinner… God, I don't know how I'll get through the evening… I'll keep looking at him funny and I'll only be able to think, 'Zim is an alien. Zim is an alien' over and over again." She said, standing up and sighing. Dib stood up as well and looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry." He said sincerely, placing a hand on her shoulder. She didn't move to brush him off, so he gave it a small squeeze before moving over to the couch and sitting down again. "I know… I know this is a really big shock… But you'll get used to it after a while… I did, after all. And I'm definitely more mentally unstable then yourself."

Bria just nodded and cracked a half-smile. Then she picked up the phone and called Zim. Dib watched her and his heart jumped in his chest when he heard the faint timbre of Zim's response coming through the receiver. Bria told him she was coming to pick him up in a few hours, then hung up, feeling proud that she hadn't sounded weird at all.

"Do you want anything to eat? We have this _amazing_ onion-dill bread and even though it gives you awful breath, it tastes so good that you won't care." She said, masking her depression with a happy demeanor. Dib just nodded and followed her to the kitchen. He watched her get a knife from a drawer and cut up the loaf of bread with a detached air about her.

"Thanks." He said when she handed him the plate. She nodded in response, then made an excuse to go to her room and walked away. He watched her leave, feeling a little guilty for having to tell her the truth. But he knew Zim would have some sort of technology to erase those memories.

Bria walked into her room, barely noticing the temperature drop from the other rooms. She collapsed on her bed, face-down, and began to cry softly. She wasn't sure why she was crying but she knew the tears had to escape.

"Hello, Bria." A malicious voice said, followed by a whooshing sound.

Dib jumped and stood up quickly, hearing a blood-curdling scream coming from the other room. Without thinking, he ran to where he had heard the noise. What he walked in on wasn't what he had been expecting at all.

Bria was pinned to the bed, her face squashed into the pillow and a knife embedded in her shoulder. Muffled shouts of pain and terror came through the fluffy pillowcase. A young man Dib had never seen before yanked the knife from her back and raised it above his head, eyes wild.

"You fucking bitch!" Tony screamed, about to stab her again. "You fat little whore! Make a fool of me, will you?! I-argh!" He was cut off as one hundred and twenty pounds slammed into him with bruising force. Tony was forced to the ground and before he could do anything, a pair of handcuffs had been placed on his wrists. Instantly, he fell asleep, unaware of what had just happened at all.

"Nighty night." Dib muttered, sitting up and grimacing at the blood on his shirt. He turned to Bria and helped her sit up. She was coughing slightly but it seemed the knife hadn't hit anything _too_ bad and hadn't cut very deep at all. She was crying silently and clung to Dib's arm as if he was the only thing of substance in the room.

"Th-thanks." She whimpered in-between sobs, letting go of his sleeve just as suddenly. She winced and cried out in pain as her shoulder blades shifted.

"Shit." Dib muttered, picking up a discarded shirt on the ground and pressing it against the wound. She shifted a little, but let him bandage up the wound with a first-aid kit he carried around with him for such things as this.

"I owe you one." She said, her tears stopping their flow. Dib just nodded and finished up the bandaging process. "Don't worry, this won't stop me from bringing you to see Zim." She said, sitting up straight and wincing only a little at the pain. Dib was about to protest but Bria just shook his head stubbornly.

"You're in love with him." Bria stated bluntly, looking up at him with pain-hazed eyes. Dib looked down on her, his own golden orbs expanding slightly. He was going to deny it, shout to the world that he could never love the alien, but…

But he knew that he loved the little green freak. Maybe he had been in love with the alien since High School started. Instead, he just nodded, looking away, ashamed of having it spoken in the open.

"Just so you know…" Bria said loudly, forcing him to turn his gaze back to her. She was wearing a large grin and it was only tinted with a bit of dry humor. "Gay guys are my thing. So don't worry about it."

Dib looked at her, then began to laugh. No wonder Zim had become friends with her. She knew how to kick a man when he was down, then help him up in the most graceful manner.

"What about that guy?" He asked after his giggles had subsided. Her gaze grew angry for a moment, then she sighed, looking at him with a grin tinged with bitterness.

"Leave the bastard there. We can throw him down a well when we get home or something."

* * *

(1): Para-pros - para-professionals, they're kind of like police officers at the high school. 

A/N: Yeah... This was definitely not one of my best chapters to date. I promise to go back to it one day and fix it up.

But not now.

This was 8 1/2 pages. w00t w00t!

Review, please!


	10. Chapter 8: You're Beautiful

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let ya'll know that I'm still alive. -giggles-

Here is chapter 8 of "Go the Distance!" Sorry its so short but thats because I'm eagerly awaiting chapter nine. I hope to upload that one tomorrow. -giggles- Its my favorite, so far.

And, just so you know... THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! -bows down and lurve to all- Homg, you have no idea how much I love you all! I got eleven (ELEVEN!) reviews on the last chapter. You all are amazing and deserve as much lurve as I can give. -bows down again-

"You're Beautiful" is copyright of James Blunt. I love this song sooo much. It doesn't fit COMPLETELY but I totally love it and I think it fits well enough. xP

And now, without further ado, chapter 8 of "Go the Distance"!

* * *

CHAPTER 8: YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL

Zim was about to throw Gir down the basement stairs when he heard the front door open. He knew who it was; only one person knew where he lived at this point in time. He turned towards the open kitchen door. Bria stood there, smiling nervously. Behind her lay Tony's motionless body. The handcuffs had been removed so Zim wouldn't get suspicious.

"I need some help." She said lamely, looking back anxiously. Zim sighed and put a hand to his forehead, forgetting about Gir completely as he felt a headache coming on. The little robot toddled forward and began to poke Ton y in the head, giggling all the while.

"What happened?" Zim asked, walking forward and glaring down at the unmoving figure. Not that he was greatly concerned with Tony's health, more that he was curious how all this had happened. Tony groaned and his eyes flickered open for a second. But then he was pulled back into unconsciousness, the mild sedative from the handcuffs running their course.

"He… broke into my room while I was gone. I managed to kick him in the head and… well… h-he won't wake up. C-can you keep him here somewhere? U-until dinner is over, at least?" Bria said, still not meeting Zim's gaze. Unaware that she was doing so, she gripped her shoulder and winced slightly. _As if the bruises weren't enough, now I've got a frickin' stab wound. Not to mention my new friend is an alien. Fuck._ She thought, aware that Zim was frowning at her behavior.

Something felt very off about this entire situation.

"Did he hurt you?" Zim asked, concerned and severely pissed. If Tony had done any lasting damage, he would find out just what pain really was! He reached out a hand to touch her arm but she winced visibly, shying away from the tentative touch.

"I-it's nothing." She said, her tone bordering on hysteria. Zim grabbed her wrist lightning fast and she uttered a quiet squeak. But she did nothing to escape his grasp, knowing how strong he could be.

"Where are you hurt? Show me!" Zim demanded, frustrated that she wasn't accepting his help. For a moment, it seemed as if she was going to be her normal stubborn self and refuse his offer. Then she caved in on herself and sighed in defeat.

"My shoulder. I bandaged and disinfected the wound, so it should be fine now. It stopped bleeding a little while ago. Don't… don't worry about it." She cracked a smile and Zim started to feel uneasy. Bria looked so scared and freaked out, as if she was expecting something to happen any minute now.

"Let me see. I've become an expert at bandaging. I can help-" Zim was cut off quickly.

"No, no, it's fine. I-I'd rather you didn't." Bria said, pulling her hand back in an attempt to escape his grip. Zim let her go without a fight, worried about her strange behavior. But, he supposed, he would be terrified of human (or alien) touch at the moment as well.

"I'll bring him downstairs, then. Say here, alright?" Zim said softly, grabbing Tony's arm roughly and beginning to drag him towards the stairway. Bria just nodded distractedly and went into the other room.

"I'll wait for you in the car." She called back, exiting the house quickly. Zim watched her go, wishing he knew the reason for her odd behavior.

After stuffing Tony into one of the many glass-like cells in his lab, Zim ran up the stairs. Bria had promised the food of her grandmother was going to be amazing and, since he was amazing himself, he was looking forward to dinner.

"Took you long enough!" Bria grumbled, seeming to have become her old self again. Zim just flashed her a grin and slid into the passenger seat. The two buckled up and drove off, arriving at her grandma's house in record time.

The pale face of Zim's disguise had turned a nice shade of sickly green. Bria just chuckled nastily and motioned for him to enter the house. She figured the little stunt was to get back at him for not telling her he was an alien. Then again, most aliens didn't go around screaming, "I'M AN ALIEN" to the world. Her race was quite known for their hostility.

They entered a small, cozy kitchen. A woman was bustling around, making all sorts of good-smelling dishes. She turned around and smiled at Bria and Zim. The Irken found himself warming up to the woman instantly; she had an aura of friendliness around her, one that was hard to ignore. He gave her a shy smile back.

"Ah, so you're Zim. I've heard a lot about you; I knew it was just a matter of time before Bria decided to show you off. She does that with all her friends, when she finds the time." The woman winked at Zim, then went back to the stove, stirring a pot of sizzling hot oil and homemade french fries.

"Zim, this is my grandma. Most people just call her Grandma Royce; she's pretty much _everyone's_ grandma, not just her grand-children's." Bria laughed lightly, leaning against the wall and watching her grandma bustle around the kitchen.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Zim said politely. Both Bria and Grandma snorted, giving each other silly looks. A blush crept into the boy's cheeks; had he done something wrong?

"Hey, I'll go check on the steaks. You can stay here, Zim." She gave him an evil grin while her grandma's back was turned. "You can set the table; I'm sure Grandma will appreciate it. Then, you can come outside and meet me in the garden." She happily skipped away, watching her plan unfold perfectly.

Zim didn't grumble but oh, how he wanted to! The setting of dishes was almost as tedious as trying to sell the Poop candy bars!

Bria exited the house excitedly, walking into the backyard and completely bypassing the grill. The knowledge that, at any moment, there might be glorious gay boys in the backyard was probably the coolest thing that had ever happened to her. After all, she had been all about boys that loved boys for _years_ now. Ooh! Maybe she should get her camera…

"He'll be back here in a few minutes. Are you ready, Dib?" Bria asked, watching the boy stick his head out from behind the garage. His eyes were sparkling with excitement; finally, he would be able to see Zim again! He had caught a small glimpse of the alien as he walked up the driveway.

From what he had seen, Zim was very happy with his current situation. But, with Dib's extensive knowledge of the other boy, he was able to see the hidden sadness in Zim's posture. The alien slumped over a little, not standing as tall as his confidence would normally allow.

"I'm ready." He said, smiling nervously. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure if he _was_ ready. How would Zim react? Would he be happy to see him? Or would he push him away? Dib took a deep breath, and then went behind the garage again, not sure if he could go through with this anymore.

"Bria?" Zim called and Dib stiffened, pressing his back against the garage as close as he possibly could get. The moment of truth had arrived.

The alien saw her standing a little ways away, next to a small fish pond. Making his way over to her, he stopped a few steps away. She had a very mischievous look on her face, on that Zim was very suspicious about.

"Oh, Zim, there you are!" She said, beaming brightly. Zim almost took a step back, finding something very wrong with the quality of her smile. It was pure evil, yet it had such innocence to it, as well. What was the girl planning?

"Yes, yes, here I am, in all of my amazing-ness." He said haughtily, looking around the garden with interest. It was early autumn, so all of the flowers had just reached their peak. Each petal he saw glistened with tiny drops of water, lit by the sunset.

He looked up and felt a small smile tugging at his face. The scene was like something taken out of a Hallmark card: bright and fluorescent, the sky a bright azure with coppery golds and salmon pinks mixed in. The sun was almost to the horizon now and Zim felt suddenly at peace.

"Zim, come here for a moment, would you?" Bria asked, turning her gaze away from the beautiful sunset to stare at the boy lit in the fire of twilight. Zim turned to her and, for a moment, she thought she saw two bright red orbs staring at her instead of his white-and-indigo, human eyes. But then the fleeting image was gone and she brought herself back to the mission.

"Alright." He responded quietly, feeling more relaxed now. Zim walked over to her and realized he was standing under an arbor. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at Bria. "Why did you want me to stand here, anyways?" Bria just looked at him funny, then her eyes widened.

"Oh crap! I'll be right back!" She said, fleeing the scene as quickly as possible. Zim was left there, dumb-founded at her strange behavior. Shrugging and chalking it up to being human, he turned back to look at the side of the garden facing away from the garage.

Dib took a deep breath. This was it: the moment of truth. God, Zim looked so amazing in the light of the dying sunset. It was breath-taking…

He took a few steps out from behind the garage, eyes lit up with more fire than normal. Zim turned to him and felt his breath catch in his throat.

Dib was there.

* * *

A/N: There ya'll go! -smiles- I hope you enjoyed this very short chapter. Its only three pages! Holy crap! Shortest chapter to date (the prologues don't count!)

The next chapter is the long-awaited reunion chapter.


	11. Chapter 9: Falling For the First Time

Hello all!

I must say, this is, by far, one of my most favorite chapters to date. Its more descriptive in terms of scenery than the past chapters were, which is more my style. I like writing about nature, y'know -smile-

"Falling For the First Time" is copyright of Bare Naked Ladies. ;)

Now, for the chapter you've all been looking forward to! Chapter nine of "Go The Distance": The reunion chapter!

* * *

CHAPTER 9: FALLING FOR THE FIRST TIME 

Zim looked at the human in shock. His eyes were wide and he wasn't sure whether he should flee the scene, kill Dib, or hug him so hard that he squeezed him to death. Dib was contemplating the same things but was unable to get the emotions across.

No words were spoken. They stood in complete silence, neither daring to break the sacred quiet between them. It was the longest they had ever gone without insulting each other or beating each other up. The only sound was the leaves rustling in the wind.

The trees in the garden were adorned with bright red hues and soft yellows. The dying light of the sun shone brightly on the ornamented branches, the sky turning into a soft gold-orange to match its earthy brethren. Flowers of every color began to fold into themselves, preparing for another cold nightfall. It wouldn't be long now before the soft petals fell to the ground like rain.

Finally, as the dusty gray cobwebs of twilight began to stretch out across the sky, Dib broke the silence by simply saying, "Hey." It was quieter than he had intended and, at first, Zim wasn't sure if he had actually heard it or if it was imagined. Still, he responded with a soft, "Hi."

Dib seemed to relax visibly when he heard the Irken's reply and he watched the other with molten gold eyes. How good it was to hear Zim's voice again, after almost two weeks of searching! It felt like being home again after a long journey. This seemed to reiterate his thoughts from what seemed to be years ago. Home is where the heart is.

He had found his heart. And he was home.

Suddenly, a conscious decision was made between the two and they were hugging each other tightly, as if they never wanted to let go. Tears trailed down Dib's face in silent torrents, lit by the fire of the sunset. Zim clung to the boy, burying his face into the human's shoulder and inhaling the sweet scent that was Dib; it was crisp and clean, along with a faint hint of something spicy, like cinnamon. He refused to look up, to look at Dib, for tears began streaming from his eyes as well. He didn't want his "enemy" to see his weakness, right?

Or perhaps he was more ashamed of his weakness than Dib could ever be.

Bria saw this exchange, her auburn eyes growing large. She was hiding in the garage, watching through a high window. The scene before her was heart-wrenching and beautiful, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her entire life. Thank God she had grabbed the camera in time! She took a quick picture (with the flash off, of course), a smile stretching across her full mouth as they embraced each other. Ah, she loved happy endings! Especially when gay boys were concerned...

Dib was the first to break the hug, glaring down at the alien sternly. Zim looked surprised at the anger in the human's eyes; had he performed the "hug" wrong? That was when he noticed the tears continuing to trail down the other's face. Slowly, he reached up a hand to brush away the wetness on Dib's cheeks. He felt no sting; after having been exposed to the human's horribly contaminated water for over six years now, he was completely immune to the poisonous liquid.

"You left." Dib said accusingly, yet his eyes held a happiness that he hadn't felt in the two weeks the alien had been gone. Zim's eyes became wide for a moment before he looked away in shame. He wanted to step out of the human's embrace but… the warmth from the other body was just too comforting.

"I couldn't stay…" Zim mumbled, almost incoherently. He felt the other's grip tightening on his waist and he looked up again, watching the emotions flitting across the human's face. Dib seemed torn, as if he wanted to do two separate things.

"Why not?! You could have at least taken me with you!" Dib whisper-shouted accusingly, the tears continuing to roll down his cheeks. Zim refused to look back, as if his heart was breaking. Which it was; he hadn't wanted to leave in the first place!

"You don't understand… I couldn't stay. It was too dangerous… I-"Without even letting the alien finish, Dib leaned forward and pressed their lips together. It was the gentlest of kisses, yet it was the most important thing Dib had ever done in his life.

_Dib tastes like cherries._ That was the only coherent thought running through Zim's mind at the time as he hesitantly returned the kiss. He wasn't sure why he pressed back but… it just felt right, somehow. Everything got more passionate suddenly, tongues battling for dominance, and neither winning. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except for that moment, their closeness, their burning inner fire.

Then, ruining the moment, a loud click was heard from the garage. Glaring, both boys broke the kiss and turned to Bria, who was trying to duck behind the window quickly. She was beating herself with the camera. Her cheeks flushed a dark red as she realized what she had just witnessed and ruined.

That was their first kiss. Ever.

"I suck!" She groaned, trying to ignore their death glares. "I'm sorry!" She wailed, hiding her face from them. "Go on, continue! I'm gonna go inside!" She heard Dib sigh and Zim grumbled about stupid female humans always spoiling everything. Then, she couldn't hear them at all.

"You," Dib said suddenly, standing in front of the slumped-over girl. Bria sat up quickly, looking up with apologetic eyes. "Suck." Zim was standing a little ways away, trying to regain his bearings. No wonder humans kissed so often! Touching another's lips must be some form of attack, considering Zim was weak-kneed and feeling slightly dizzy. But it was all in a good way, not in a bad way.

"I'm sorry! I know I suck at life and I just completely ruined everything!" She whined, trying to hide her face in her hands to get rid of the guilty feeling. It didn't work, though. It was quite possible that she had single-handedly ruined the greatest moment of each of their lives.

But at least she had gotten it on film, right?

"Oh no!" She cried suddenly, standing up. "The steaks!" And she rushed away, cheeks fire-truck red in shame. Dib and Zim watched her go, still angry. Finally, Zim sighed and put his head in his hand.

"Why did you come here, human? Going to expose me and capture me? Put me on an autopsy table and finally see how I work? Or are you just going to keep an eye on me?" Zim didn't sound upset as he mentioned the potential dissection. In fact, he almost sounded relieved, like he was tired of their game.

Dib didn't like Zim's question at all. Scowling, he walked towards Zim, who still didn't look up.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Dib asked quietly, gripping Zim's upper arm tightly. The alien looked up, surprised. "I'm not stupid and neither are you. We both know I'm not here to expose you. I'm not even here to keep an eye on you. For one, you haven't tried to destroy Earth for three years now-"

"How do you know that I didn't come here to do just that?" Zim whispered hotly, glaring right back at Dib. How dare the human speak to the Almighty Zim in such a manner!

"I guess I'll just have to let you then, won't I? Look, I came here because-"

"Guys?" Bria called from the backyard. "Dinner's ready. C'mon in and eat!" Oblivious to the fact that she had, yet again, ruined the perfect moment, she walked to the garage's entrance, holding a plate of steaming steaks in her hand waiter-style. Dib let go of Zim hurriedly, as if the alien had burned him. The other rubbed his arm, looking at Dib with true bewilderment in his eyes.

"Alright." Dib said, walking towards the house blindly. Bria watched him go, a little baffled as to what was going on. Zim moved past her as well and she sighed. Obviously, she had missed something here.

"Damn…" She muttered to herself as she followed behind them. "I didn't get to take more pictures…"

Dinner went relatively well. Zim and Dib didn't talk to each other beyond, "Can you hand me the salt, please?" However, everyone was suitably entertained by Bria's younger brother, Zach. He was a short, seven-year-old boy with light brown hair and eyes colored a dark black-brown. He was loud and obnoxious, but cutely so. And torturing Bria seemed to be his favorite thing to do. Zach's antics kept everyone laughing all through dinner when conversation grew sparse.

At one point, Zim leaned over and whispered to Bria, "where is your grandfather? I have yet to meet him." Bria's smile turned into an angry frown, making Zim back up a little in confusion. _Why is the Bria-human angry? Have I said something wrong?_

"We'll discuss this later, alright? Not now." She said, turning her head away. A lock of dark brown hair fell over her eyes, obstructing Zim's view of her face. "Now is _not_ the time." She kept her voice low, so only Zim could hear. Then she put a bright, fake smile on and returned to her food, brutally stabbing a piece of steak with her fork. Not a word came from her mouth for the rest of dinner.

"You mother will be picking Zach up, so you should just go home and finish your homework." Royce said when the dishes were cleared off the table. Bria nodded, smiling softly, and hugged her grandma tightly. Then she turned to Zach and ruffled his short hair as he clung to her leg. The two other boys watched this exchange with curiosity, both getting the impression that Zach was a human version of Gir… Only more intelligent, of course.

"Bye gram, thanks for dinner! And I'll see you at home, Zach. Ack! Get off of me, monkey!" Laughing, she pulled Zach off her leg and he pouted, standing a little ways away. Bria waved a little to them, then turned to the boys standing in the doorway. "Let's go." She said as they all began to walk out the door.

"We have a lot to talk about…"

* * *

It didn't take them long to reach Zim's house. Dib looked at the alien's new home in wonder. It was so large and… and _normal_ looking! It wasn't glowing a strange bright green and there were no scary lawn gnomes in the yard, either! 

The three exited the car and walked to the front door. Each stopped dead as loud sounds emanated from behind the thin slab of wood.

"Damn it!" Zim said quietly, looking rather annoyed. "I left Gir alone and Mini-moose is probably out now…" He muttered, ignoring Dib's chuckles and Bria's strange expression. What an Irken Invader he was!

"New house, same old incompetent robot, eh?" Dib said, grinning at Zim for the first time that evening. Bria watched the exchange with a soft smile on her face: ah, true love! How joyous an occasion!

Of course, this was the point when she remembered what Zim _really_ was and the smile disappeared as quickly as it came. Time to get out of there!

"I-I gotta get going… Lots of homework, you know." Bria giggled nervously, backing down the steps as slowly as she could without arousing Zim's suspicion. The boys looked at her, their expressions confused at her strange behavior.

"You can't leave yet! You have yet to explain the absence of your grandfather at dinner tonight. So go inside!" Zim demanded, opening up the door and pointing inside.

"I can't! Th-there's a paper to write a-and a story for creative writing-"She wasn't even allowed to finish her list. Dib and Zim grabbed both of her arms and dragged her into the house.

"It's the weekend." Zim said reasonably as they dropped her on the couch. They both took a seat on opposite sides of her, keeping their distance from the other. "You have two full days to finish it all."

Looking around the living room, Zim wanted to find Gir and kill him in the most horrible fashion imaginable. The entire room was destroyed: broken crayons were scrambled all over the floor, their colors painting the walls in nonsensical mosaics. The TV had fallen and broken, the shards of broken glass glittering in the plush carpet. Even the coffee table hadn't been spared: long, elegant scratches were carved into it's oak surface.

Zim's eye twitched as Gir entered the room, Mini-moose floating close behind. Both were covered in what looked like mayonnaise, smelling of the disgusting white stuff as well. The two robots froze guiltily.

"Clean. This. Up. NOW." Zim growled out between clenched teeth, eyes flashing with barely-concealed rage. Gir's eyes turned red and he shouted out, "YES SIR!" before racing around, fixing the mess quickly.

"And you, Mini-moose! Go downstairs and tell me if Tony has woken up yet." The floating purple balloon squeaked and raced away to complete the order.

Dib was cracking up, finding the entire thing extremely hilarious. Zim turned and glared at him but the other couldn't stop. Bria was giggling too, albeit anxiously. The entire display just made her more and more convinced that Zim was going to kill her any time now.

"So, about your grandfather…" Zim said as a distraction, trailing off and looking at her expectantly. Her giggles dwindled away into nothing and she averted her gaze to her lap, tensing up in anger. Now the only sound in the house was Gir vacuuming the TV.

"He… isn't home often anymore. It's been going on since my mom was a little girl… For some reason, he just… stopped loving my Grandma… I know it's a little weird, since he's so old and all, but… he's cheating on my Grandma right now…" She closed her eyes, fists clenching tightly. "And she's getting more and more depressed each day. All of us, her friends and family, try to visit her as much as we can to make sure she's doing ok and to know that she's loved…" Her voice began to shake, as did her hands. She was tired of this conversation. "…Can I go home now?" The question was so quietly asked that Dib barely heard it.

Before Zim could answer, Mini-moose came floating back into the room, squeaking loudly. The alien listened and nodded when the purple animal finished. It seemed Tony was awake and trying to punch his way out of the large glass tube the Irken had put him in to. Zim imagined Tony wailing and trying to beat at the impenetrable glass, making him chuckle evilly. Bria shivered a little at the sound.

_I don't want to keep it a secret anymore. I have to tell him. He has to know that I know…_

"Zim." Bria spoke, her voice sounding louder than it normally would of. Gir had stopped cleaning and wandered off to another room. "I know." Zim looked at her, shocked. Two tired, brown eyes stared at him sadly.

"K-know what?" Zim laughed a little, trying to hide his anxiety. Dib was trying to shush her but she wasn't going to have it. "You're not making much sense, Bria."

"I know what you are." She replied softly, looking him right in the eyes. "I know why you have a robot and what you're trying to do here on Earth."

Silence, horrible and consuming. The pressure of the dark quietness was heavy in the suddenly smaller room, pressing down on their very souls and crushing them into powder. So much awfulness in the truth, so much fear in their veins.

"Computer." Zim said, breaking the spell of the silence. Bria clenched her eyes shut tightly, not sure what to expect. Laser beams? Bullets? "Capture the human and bring her to my lab. Then use her voice patters to send a message to her family that she's sleeping over at-"The alien paused for a moment, then remembered her friend's name. "-Jess's house."

"Fine." A voice whined, the sound seemingly coming from behind the walls. Thick coils of metal rope extended down from the ceiling and wrapped Bria into a steel cocoon. Dib watched in shock, feeling himself unable to move in and help her.

A hole appeared in the floor and she was put into a glass tube much like Tony's. To her credit, she didn't scream; just accepted her fate with as much grace as her rapidly beating heart would allow. She kept her eyes closed, fearing what she would see.

The hole was gone before Dib could lunge in after her. He slammed into the floor, missing being crushed by the sliding panels by milliseconds.

"Zim! Get her out of there!" Dib cried, turning to the alien-in-disguise. Standing up, the ex-paranormal investigator grabbed the front of Zim's shirt and he looked at him angrily. "She's had all day to expose you and she hasn't!"

"One person knowing is enough, Dib-worm!" Zim said, trying to get out of Dib's grip. "Others think you're crazy but Bria? She is popular, has many friends; I have to erase her memories. I couldn't have done that to you: you have too many of them and could have a major drop in IQ." Zim continued struggling but the human was holding fast, stubbornly keeping the alien in place. Zim wondered idly when the bookish Dib had gotten so strong.

"Do you _really_ think anyone would believe her?" Dib whispered hotly, shaking Zim a little. "Do you?!"

"Humans are more observant here!" Zim cried, looking away and stopping his weak attempts to get away, limply hanging in Dib's grip. He didn't feel like fighting anymore… "Yes, for a little while, no one would believe her if she told. But then something would happen, like Gir getting out without his disguise on. Then they would know and I would be cut up! I'd rather my organs stayed where they are, thank you…

"Here's a saying from your own pitiful culture, Dib-thing: Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead."

Dib let him go, dropping him onto the couch. He was shaking visibly, yet knew Zim was telling the truth. However much he wanted to protect Bria, he knew what teenage girls were like: she would get angry at the alien one day and tell the entire world what Zim was. And when he slipped up and exposed himself as the alien he really was…

Dib sat down next to Zim, slumping down. "Wow…" He said quietly, looking up at Zim with an expression that clearly said _I'm trying to change the subject._ "I only saw Mini-moose one time before. Why don't you let him out more?" Zim sighed, wanting to change the subject as much as Dib did; this whole situation felt too much like he was betraying Bria in some way.

"He likes to stay in the lab and mess around with chemicals." Zim shrugged. "I don't really pay much attention to him anymore. He's always downstairs, working on something or other…" Zim trailed off. The fact was, he hadn't seen Mini-Moose for a few months and had only just remembered the purple balloon animal.

"You need to go home, Dib." Zim said suddenly, looking at the human through the corner of his eye. Dib shot up and glared at the alien, moving so he was leaning over the other boy. Zim backed up until his shoulder blades met the arm of the couch, eyes wide and slightly scared.

"Zim, if you didn't want me here that would be one thing. I would have gone home by now… But I can see you're happy that I'm here." Dib's face moved closer and closer until their foreheads were almost touching. "And I'm happy to be here, too. I'm not going home without you; if you decide to stay here, then this is my new home."

"Y-you can't… Y-your father-"Zim tried to get the human to see logic.

"Doesn't give a shit about me." Dib interrupted, looking down into the indigo eyes and finding he missed the normal ruby-red orbs. Then, slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Zim's again, holding his weight up with arms that were starting to complain under the pressure. _Please._ He thought desperately. _Please, God, wherever or whatever you are. Let him say I can stay. Let him see how much I missed him through this kiss…_

At first, Zim was too shocked at Dib kissing him again to react. But then he closed his eyes and melted, returning the kiss as softly as he could. The passion Dib was channeling (the frustration, the anger, the joy) was overwhelming the alien and he lost himself in it. He didn't know why the human was doing this but at the moment, he didn't honestly care. It just felt so good, so _right_. Denying something that felt this right must have been a crime of some sort.

Finally, Dib moved back up, looking at Zim and breathing harshly. His eyes were wide and pleading and his arms were shaking with the effort of holding himself up. Tears were going to start coming any second now.

"Please." He whispered as Zim opened his eyes again. "Don't make me leave…"

"Dib…" Zim said, pushing the human away so they could both sit up and think about this rationally. He knew Dib would view it as rejection, so he held onto the boy's hand, letting the other know that he wasn't sending him away just yet. "There are some things I have to tell you before you decide to stay…" Zim took a deep breath.

Three years had been long enough to keep this in. He should have told Dib the moment it happened and perhaps things wouldn't have gotten so out of control.

"Three years ago, I… My leaders contacted me. I-I was told…" Zim looked away, swallowing hard. Dib squeezed his hand a little, urging him on without words. "They told me that my mission was a fake, something to get rid of me… Th-that I was a defect and was banished to Earth for the rest of my life…" A choked sob emerged from his throat and then he felt two strong arms wrapping around him. He began to cry heavily, curling into the comforting embrace like a smeet.

"Zim… I'm sorry…" Dib felt helpless; what else could he do or say that wasn't a re-iteration of "I'm sorry"? So, instead, he let his hug speak for him, gently kissing the top of Zim's head. He didn't know why he was touching Zim so much but it seemed that he couldn't stop. With that kind of logic, where could you go wrong? "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I-I didn't want the game to end." Zim said, sniffling slightly as he sat up and rubbed at the pink tears still rolling down his face. Dib looked a little confused but nodded, getting the basic gist of what Zim was saying. "But in the end… You were actually so strange; you stopped chasing after me… I believed you were putting together a plot to capture me and… I just wanted to escape from whatever fate you had planned… So I ran…" He blushed a little at the memory, remembering what he had witnessed in Dib's room.

"I was quiet because _you_ were quiet. I stopped plotting when _you_ stopped plotting because there wasn't anything to plot _against_… Why are you blushing?" Dib asked, poking the bright red flush on the alien's cheek. Zim just grew more embarrassed and tried to find a sane explanation.

"I-I snuck into your room the n-night I left and… And stole your notebook." Dib's eyes grew wide, then he started spluttering incoherently. The thought, _Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck_ raced through his mind at the speed of light.

_He didn't see that. He's blushing because of the notebook. He _did not_ see that. Fuck, I know that's what he saw… How the hell do I explain wet dreams to the person they're about?!_

"O-oh… Wait… Did Bria read it or something?" Dib said, trying to change the subject as quickly as possibly. But Zim wasn't easily fooled. He saw how flustered the other had gotten and was grinning evilly.

"Why, Dib-thing, I had no idea you thought of me like that." Zim whispered, taking over the situation quickly. He leaned forward and Dib leaned back, looking more humiliated than Zim ever could. To have someone walk in while you were masturbating, and about that person as well, was probably the most horrifying experience Dib could possibly think of.

"I-I…" Dib swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. He had nothing to say to that. Zim pressed a button on his hidden pack and suddenly, the hologram disappeared. It was the first time he had turned the disguise off since he got to Grand Haven.

"I need to set up a guest bedroom for you…" Zim whispered, looking down at the human for a few more seconds before grinning evilly and moving away. Dib looked up, startled at the sudden coldness felt without the other's body pressed so close to his. Then his eyes widened and sparkled with hope.

"I-I can stay?" He asked, joy evident in his gold eyes. Zim nodded, letting the other boy sit up.

"First, though, tell me why you came here..." Zim said, looking at Dib side-long. A blush quickly appeared on Dib's cheeks again and it seemed he was going to refuse to answer for a moment. Then he sighed and decided to reply truthfully.

"You're the reason for my existence. You're everything that I've ever hoped for and... I enjoy your company." _Oh, stop being a pansy, Dib!_ He scolded himself mentally. _Just tell him you like him!_

"So you're saying you like me?" Zim said, a maniacal smirk appearing on his face. Dib's mouth opened in shock; it seemed Zim was a mind reader. That couldn't be good... Dib just nodded stupidly and Zim seemed pleased with the answer. Holding out a hand, Zim stood up and offered it to Dib; they still had to set up the boy's new room.

It was certain that things were about to get very interesting in the near future…

* * *

A/N: Notice how Zim didn't say he liked Dib back? There is a reason for that... Which I cannot disclose xP 

So, this story has a totally new plot. More like, "how far is Dib willing to go to keep Zim at his side where he belongs?" So it can be assumed that Zim will try to run away again. ;D

Please review! By the way, you all ROCK and I love you completely to death. I got ten reviews on the last chapter. -hugs and lurve for all- I wrote a poem from Dib's POV about all this. Tell me if you want me to post it or not! Also, do you hate Bria now for ruining their first kiss? -snickers evilly- Speaking of which, what do you think is going to happen to her? Will Zim's suspicious nature make him erase her memories (like he almost did in NanoZIM) or will the ever-optimistic Dib convince him to let Bria free with all her knowledge intact?

Tell me in your reviews! ;D Thanks, you guys!


	12. Chapter 10: All The Same

Hello all! I know I'm amazingly late with this chapter and I apologize. -grovels- Please forgive me!

My God... T-ten chapters... And almost 100 reviews! I lurve you all. This is probably the most amazing thing ever. I owe you all, like, a bajillion cookies.

I'm sorry there's not much going on in this chapter. Its kind of a lead-in into the following, more depressing chapters to come.

"All The Same" is copyright of Sick Puppies. Yes, I changed the chapter name ; Shush, you!

So, without further ado (because I know you've all waited a week or so), here is chapter 10 of "Go The Distance"!

* * *

CHAPTER 10: ALL THE SAME

Bria was feeling decidedly nervous. Tony was sitting right next to her and the only thing between them was the glass of their cells. He had been shouting for what seemed like hours but she couldn't hear him, for which she was very glad. Every once in a while, he would beat on the wall holding him in and she would wince, which most likely made him think that she could hear him.

Thank God for idiots, huh?

The silence was driving her crazy, though. The constant ringing in her ears wasn't pleasant at all and she was going to start beating at the walls herself at any moment. Finally, when she couldn't bear it anymore, she raised a fist and made to hit the glass cage. It was at that exact moment that she saw Zim and Dib walking down the hallway across from her. Dib's head was turned away from the lab, so he didn't see her.

"Damn it!" She screeched, hitting the glass and noticing it wobbled a little when she did so. Deciding to keep attacking her cage, Bria began to throw her fists against the glass. She stopped when her knuckles began to bleed but panic still surged through her. Everything was becoming smaller, she couldn't breathe, she was going to be killed by an alien life form, she was being crushed-

GASP!

Bria woke up in a cold sweat inside the cage. Looking around wildly, she realized she must have had an anxiety attack and passed out. A scowl formed on her face and she began to kick at the walls, screaming her fury at being locked up in such a demeaning manner. Growing annoyed with how futile her attempts were, she screeched at the top of her lungs and launched all two hundred and thirty pounds of herself at the glass.

It was at that point that Zim decided to walk in. Two ruby red eyes widened as the elongated glass tube tipped precariously for a moment before the computer straightened it again. Bria continued to throw herself against the cage, tears unknowingly streaming down her face. Finally, she grew tired and managed to hit the wall one more time before slumping down, her eyes closing in pain. Her previous bruises were screaming in agony.

"Bria-human, what the hell did you think you were going to accomplish?" Zim asked, his voice shaking a little. It was like watching a tiger try to beat its way out of cage. And while the mental image of Tony doing such a thing had amused Zim, watching Bria literally try to beat her way out was a little unnerving.

"What the hell do I think _I'm_ doing?!" She screeched, beating bloodied fists against the wall when she realized Zim was there. "What in the _bloody hell_ do you think you're doing?! Let me out of here right now or I'll-"Bria froze in mid-sentence, her mouth gaping open in shock.

_Oh my God… He has green skin and red eyes! And no nose and ears! Oh shit. I'm fucked now._

"Holy shit!" She cried, pointing at him with interest. "You're skin is green!" Zim cringed, waiting for the regular "you ugly fuck!" or "you short bastard!" that he would normally hear. After all, it would be expected from a human. And for all of Bria's friendliness, she was still very much a human, regardless of how different she was from all those in his old town.

Too bad that she was completely insane.

"That is so awesome! Oh-mi-God, I wanna poke your antenna! They're so cute!" Bria said, pointing and smiling like a maniac. It was such a Bria thing to do: forget she was trapped, at an alien's mercy and still manage to point out the obvious.

"Did you hit your head?" Zim said dryly, walking over to the cage Tony was in and hitting it forcefully. The boy jumped back, looking at Zim with wide, scared eyes. "Because most humans don't react that way." The alien pressed a button and the sound-proof casing around Tony's glass bubble disappeared, letting the human hear what was going on around him.

"Holy fuck-"He was blabbering, looking at Zim like he was some kind of freak. Which, from the sheltered young man's eyes, he was. "Y-you're… you're _green._ A-and you don't have a nose or ears or… A-and there are black things on your head…" Tony pressed himself against what could be considered the back wall of the glass tube, trying to create as much distance between himself and Zim as possible.

"Just like a human…" Zim grumbled, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "Point out the obvious again, why don't you?"

"Lemme out! I wanna poke your antenna-a-a-a!" Bria whined, clawing with one hand towards Zim. The alien felt his eye twitch, as if he was going to be very angry. Then he began to chuckle softly, soon growing into full laughter. Bria watched this with curiosity; she had seemingly forgotten her current situation.

"You're even stranger than Dib. And that is saying something." He said, smirking at her and placing his hands on his hips. Bria was struck at the extreme girly-ness of Zim's posture and felt herself giggling a little.

Unfortunately, her brain decided this was a good time to remind her of her current situation. She stopped giggling instantly and curled up a little inside the tube. Hugging her knees to her chest, she placed her head on her up-drawn legs and closed her eyes.

"Can I go home now?" She asked quietly, reiterating a statement she had made earlier that evening. Her entire body was throbbing with pain now that she was paying attention to it and she just wanted to lay down in her bed and sleep. The day was finally catching up to her, making her heart twinge a little.

Zim watched her curl into herself, feeling his antenna droop a little. He shook his head, then realized she couldn't see it and said, "No. Not at the moment. I must find where you placed the memories of me and erase them. Then, while you're asleep, I'll drop you off at home."

"I don't want you in there." Bria murmured, still not opening her eyes. It seemed she was falling asleep, too exhausted to do anything else. She yawned a little, trying to stay awake. "I don't want you poking around in my memories…"

"Why not?" Zim asked, antenna perking up in curiosity. His eyes shifted to Tony, who was watching Bria apprehensively. It seemed that the girls (ex) boyfriend thought she was talking about bad memories of himself.

"'Cause…" She said, yawning again. But she forced her eyes open to look sadly at the wall facing away from Tony's face. "I just don't. Isn't there some way you could just brainwash me or something?"

"Tell me why you don't want me in your head and I'll consider finding a non-intrusive way of ridding yourself of my presence." He said shortly, glaring at Tony a little. The boy shied away from the glass again, warily watching Zim with anxious eyes. The alien was feeling decidedly rage-filled towards the human

"It's nothing!" She snapped. "Just stop asking! Look," She said suddenly, opening her eyes and turning her gaze to him. The look in her eyes wasn't angry or scared, just sad and defeated. "If you're gonna kill me, please just do it already… I'd rather you didn't," She added hastily as he looked at her as if she was crazier than Dib. "But I don't want to be stuck in a cage for the rest of my life… I'm starting to feel pretty claustrophobic."

"I won't let you out until I've performed a germ and health scan first… Then we may discuss different living quarters for you." Wow. Zim was being extremely merciful today. First letting Dib stay and now offering a small bit of freedom. This becoming-a-human-thing was starting to make him extremely nervous.

"S-scan?" Shifting anxiously, she looked at him with fear-filled eyes. "W-will it hurt?" _I do no like. Pain is not my friend. Pain is not pleasure and pleasure is not pain. Pain hurts… I don't want to be hurt again._ These thoughts ran through her mind like a mouse lost in a maze. She'd gone through enough pain (emotional, mental, and physical) that day to last a lifetime.

"No, no, it's just a harmless x-ray… sort of thing." Zim said, trying to reassure her. She didn't look very comforted, though. Sighing, Zim tried to elaborate a little. "There is no word in your earth language to explain what they are... Don't worry," he added, giving her a slightly lop-sided smile. "After the scan, you can get out and…" He paused. Could he really trust to leave her alone in a room by herself? Humans were known for self-mutilation when faced with depression and helplessness…

No, Bria wasn't like that. She had reacted strongly to even the _possibility_ of being hurt. There wasn't much of a chance that she would try to hurt herself anymore than she had been hurt that day. He noticed she winced every time her upper body moved. Most likely from bruising herself when she threw herself at the glass.

"I'll put you in a locked spare bedroom…" He finished lamely, knowing how long he took to end his sentence. A flash of relief went through her eyes, covering the fear for a brief moment, and she smiled, just a tiny bit.

"O-ok…" Then, quieter, "Thank you…"

"Hey!" A voice rang from the other container, making both Bria and Zim jump slightly. "Yeah, you, you little faggot! What about me?! Let me outta here, you green insect bastard!" Tony yelled, beating a fist against the wall again. Zim turned cold eyes to the human and the boy scooted back, angry yet fearful.

"Shut up." And with that lovely statement, Zim turned the sound barrier back on. Clenching his fists and glaring, he muttered, "You and people like you are why I hate humans… You and the rest of the 'stupid' population make people like Dib and Bria, intellectuals in their own right, seem as if _they_ are the wrong ones. They are included into the majority when, in reality, they would be the only ones worth saving on this miserable, filth-ridden planet…"

"Zim…" Bria broke in, her voice and body shaking. He turned to her, surprised at her anxious, pleading tone. "I know… I know human beings suck a-and we're cruel and mean and that we're destroying our environment… That we kill each other for no good reason and kill animals because we think they're beneath us but… There are good people here…" A choked sob escaped, and suddenly she seemed much smaller and weaker than the girl he had thought she was. Of course, she was still just a smeet, barely a year old in his eyes. "People who care a-and just… want to save the world… D-do you really have to destroy us all?"

Zim sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. What could he tell this girl? Well… he already told one person today. Why would it matter if he told one more?

"It doesn't really matter, does it? My leaders banished me here more than three years ago… I no longer have a mission..." He looked down, feeling useless and depressed. But it seemed that telling the Dib earlier had made the emotions a little less strong, so perhaps telling the Bria-human would have the same effect. "You Earth is safe from the Irken Empire…" He could feel her eyes on him: pitying him, letting him know she understood, realizing how helpless he felt.

"I'm glad…" She said, sniffling a bit and trying to calm herself down so she could say what she wanted to say. Taking a deep breath, she continued in a stronger voice, yet feeling the tone wobble a bit. "It's easier to be your friend this way.. Before, I might have told someone just to keep my home and friends & family safe… But now, there's no reason for me to tell anyone your secret… Then again, I suppose you'll still have to erase my memories…" A bitter smile appeared on her face. "I know how deceitful my race is…" Zim looked up at that, seeing the wry smirk and understanding instantly.

Bria sighed and turned away again. "Let's do the scan tomorrow, ok? I-I just wanna sleep right now…" _More like you don't want to face reality…_ She thought to herself cruelly, yet knowing it was true.

"The scan won't take less than ten seconds." Zim said, not looking at her either. "I'll perform it now and… We'll talk about all this tomorrow." Closing her eyes, she nodded almost imperceptibly, keeping her eyes shut tight as Zim pressed a few buttons. A pale purple light, followed by a brighter green one, scanned over her twice each.

"Germ scan completed. Status: Developing sinus infection destroyed, infection in open wound on back demands immediate medical attention." The computer's monotone, bored voice surprised a few chuckles from Bria. Sounded like _someone_ didn't like their job much. "Health scan completed. Status: Bruises on torso, stomach, hips, and back. Varying degree of injury. Some more than two weeks old and healing quickly. Conclusion: Viral disinfectant needed, as well as bandages. Also, include higher levels of Vitamin C and E into daily lifestyle."

Bria's eyes widened at the mention of her bruises. How the hell had the computer sensed those? A nervous glance was sent to Tony, who was still screaming profanities to himself. Watching the exchange, Zim was confused for a moment. Then it clicked and a fierce scowl appeared on his alien features.

"He hit you." It wasn't a question but more of a statement, a demand for explanation. But she didn't have one; just turned pale and stayed silent. Shaking with rage, Zim pressed a button on the main control board, causing the cage to open up, seams appearing where there had been none before. She stood up and stumbled out, guiltily looking at Tony.

"He didn't mean to." The way she said it sounded fake, even to her. Trying again, she whispered, "He promised to stop… a-and I made him mad… So it was justified, in a way…" Tony was glaring at her murderously, ice-chip eyes screaming, _it's all your fault! I hate you! DIE!_

"Bria-human, I've heard-"_and used_, "-those excuses enough to know how untrue that is. Why didn't you tell anyone? And if you knew how much of an _asshole_ he was, why didn't you break up with him?" Zim felt angry: at Tony for hurting her; at Bria for letting it continue as long as it did; at her friends for not noticing; and at himself for not being there soon enough to stop it.

"Who could I tell?" She said desperately, turning to him with anxious, shame-filled eyes. "My friends already hated him and my family would've called the police… A-and I couldn't break up with him…" Tears of shame welled in her auburn eyes but she just brushed them away irritably. Trying so hard to not break down, yet not knowing why. "All my life, I've searched for love… Someone to hold and care for and they would care for me… Someone I could trust and know that they loved me for who I was and ignoring what I looked like… They would accept my short-comings and not care how overweight I am…

"You don't know what it's like, Zim!" She cried suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at him. Desperate eyes met bright rubies, begging him to understand. "You don't know what it's like to hate yourself because you know you aren't pretty enough! Even now, standing there as an alien, you're still better-looking that I will _ever_ be! And the shitty thing is, I can't change myself!" She laughed between the tears, the sound harsh and hysterical. Worried, Zim stepped forward, then stopped, having no idea what to do.

"Wh-why can't you change? Sure you can diet or-"Bria cut him off angrily.

"I can't diet! That would be starving myself and make my metabolism even _worse_!" She looked at him miserably, her voice crackling with emotion. "My thyroid doesn't work like it should and makes me gain weight faster than other humans… I take my medication like a good little monkey, pretending that it's doing something but it doesn't do jack-shit…" Finally, her legs gave out on her and she slumped to the floor, leaning against the glass pod she had emerged from.

"You see how hard it is now for me to get a normal, decent guy? I had no choice… I-I didn't want to be alone anymore… I pretended everything was fine, just so I could end up believing it…"

A hand gripped her shoulder, tight enough that it offered some comfort. Softly, Bria began to cry, no longer able to deal with her life anymore. For the first time in Zim's life, he felt genuine pity for someone other than himself. He sat down next to her, antenna twitching back and forth as he tried to think of what to do. But Bria decided for him, leaning over until her head rested on his shoulder. Tears continued to fall, shoulders shaking slightly as the weight of her life, of society crushed her underneath is uncaring foot.

"I-I'm sorry…" She said finally, sniffling a little as she sat up. "I didn't mean to freak out on you… Or cry on your shoulder…" Laughing a little, she added, "I'm such a crybaby…"

"Don't apologize." Zim said, waving it off as he stood. "We all need to cry sometimes…" _Don't I know it._ He thought dryly, grinning a bit. A hand extended down to her and she took it, getting to her feet shakily. "Let's go fix up a room for you…" She nodded, smiling gratefully. The two walked out, Tony watching their every move…

* * *

_Tossing and turning, so uncomfortable in this new place. It's too hot, too much at one time. Too much to concentrate, you have to ignore it, it has to go away. Can't fathom it, can you, boy? You poor, insane child. Society will damn you, will shun and murder your family. But you don't care, do you? You left them, left them all alone… Who's going to take care of your sister without you there? Ha, you thought you could escape the insanity? It's too late now to get help. You think Zim will understand? He's an alien, he doesn't care, he never did and never will. Give up, give in, let me take over-_

"NO!" Dib shouted, sitting up quickly in the guest room Zim had given him. His breaths came heavily and he was drenched in a cold sweat. Two gold eyes shifted nervously over the room, looking for the anti-hero that pursued him in his dream. Realizing it had only been a (very realistic) nightmare, he sighed in relief as he lied back down on the pillows. His whole body was trembling, frightened by the ghost in his mind. The ghost was that of an insanity he had killed off years ago (or so he thought.) Studying "real science" had gotten it moderately under control.

Sighing, he sat up again and placed bare feet on the soft carpet. He wouldn't be going back to sleep until he had calmed down considerably. And the only thing that would get him into that state of mind was star-gazing.

He managed to find his way out of the base relatively well, only getting lost twice. Going through the front door, he heard gentle snoring in the background. Looking towards the source of the sound, he saw Zim asleep on the couch, cuddling up to a fuzzy pillow. It seemed the alien hadn't had enough strength to get to his room before sleep overtook him.

Lying on the ground, slightly underneath the sofa, was Bria's disposable camera. _Oh, this is just too perfect._

**FLASH**

"Agh!" Zim screeched, flailing as he fell off the couch. Curling into a protective ball, he rolled away, jumping up almost instantly. He put three-fingered fists up in expectation of an attack. His sleep-hazed mind took it's time in realizing the situation. The Dib was standing in front of him, holding a camera and chuckling quietly. Zim growled in aggravation, antenna flattening against his head.

"Give me the camera, Dib-worm." Zim rumbled, holding out a hand. Of course, Dib did no such thing. He just grinned and shuffled back, shaking a no-no finger.

"No way." He said, smirking. "This is good blackmail material." Moving quickly (quicker than Zim had been expecting of the boy), he darted out the front door. Zim, after pressing a button on his PAK to turn on his disguise, ran after Dib, feeling highly annoyed.

"Give it to me, human!" He whisper-screamed, catching up to the other easily and tackling him to the ground. Dib squeaked and, laughing, fell down. Pinned to the slightly moist grass, he was given a good view of the sky. Well, mostly Zim's human face.

"Where is it, Dib-thing?" Zim hissed, not sure whether he should feel insulted or not at the boy's amusement. There was nothing funny about the situation!

"I hid it." Dib said, smiling up cheekily. Snarling, Zim put his face right next to the others, so close that a fake nose touched a real one. A slight intake of breath was the only sign that the alien was winning. A grin flitted across his face and Dib's own smirk disappeared.

"This is a rather compromising situation, isn't it, Dib?" _Oh shit._ Dib thought, starting to get a little scared. _He didn't add anything to the end of my name!_ Unsure as to what Zim meant, he just shifted slightly, keeping an eye out for escape routes.

"Give me the camera…" The zippered teeth that the hologram never managed to hide drew wider, the sharp points glinting in the moonlight. "Because you don't even want to know the consequences." Ok, so maybe the alien was bluffing a bit. But didn't know that, so it would turn out fine…

Right?

Dib didn't answer for a long while, trying to think of a way out of the situation. Finally, he sighed in defeat and pulled out a bright-silver, digital camera from his pocket. Zim' grin, if possible, grew even wider as he snatched the camera out of Dib's hand. Leaping off the boy, he held the picture-taker in-between three-fingered claws.

"Go-o-o-o-od." He whispered in a sickly sweet tone, looking down at the camera and starting to flip through the digital pictures. An angry baby Gaz stared up at him, child-like purple eyes betraying the evilness within. Blinking, Zim looked through more pictures of Dib's life. The last one he saw of the family all together was Dib's seventh birthday party. Even then, the boy had been into the paranormal (as seen by the rather large ghost-shaped cake.) "But where-"

"The stars are pretty here." Dib said dreamily, seemingly not paying attention to Zim at all. His eyes were trained on the sky, slowly roving over the great dark expanse. The stars glittered down kindly, each twinkling brightly in the two golden eyes far, far away.

"Wh-what?" Zim said, not because he was confused but because the Dib had just randomly brought it up. Hesitantly, he sat down next to the human. Then he lied down as well, looking up at the gentle dusting of glittering stars above him. Ones that he had explored and knew well.

"There's no smog here." Dib said, trying to explain. "You can look up and actually see the Milky Way… And all seven of the Pleiades…" He sighed, closing his eyes and opening them again leisurely. Slowly, he turned towards Zim, a sleepy, tranquil smile on his face. He didn't say anything else, however, just laid there and smiled as his heavy eyelids began to fall.

"Dib… Why are you up so late?" Zim asked, shifting his gaze slightly to the human. There was no response, just a quiet sleepy sound. Dib's eyes were completely close and the gentle smile remained. The pale visage of the boy's tranquil face made something click in Zim's head:

_I don't want to run away anymore…

* * *

_

The sun broke over the horizon, a bright amber drop in the sky. Gold rays of light extended their arms over the earth, quickly burning away the morning chill. The dusty, pearl gray of dawn slowly dwindled away, leaving a bright blue in its place.

Of course, it wasn't the sunshine that woke Dib up; it was the supremely annoying birds in Zim's backyard. The twittering things were flying in idiotic circles, always returning to the large weeping willow tree by the house.

"Ugh… Shut up, Gaz!" Dib groaned, trying to turn onto his stomach. Easier said than down, considering he rolled right on top of Zim. _That_ woke him up. "Bwah? Zim?!" Oh, that's right: he traveled across the country and found the alien and gave away his first kiss to the sneaky bastard, too.

It was clear Dib wasn't a morning person.

"Five more minutes, Gir…" The alien groaned, latching onto Dib's wais and nuzzling his chest. "Please?" The boy froze instantly, wondering why "never-sleep-a-wink, I'm-an-insomniac" Zim was currently cuddling with him. And there was also that neat little fact that he was an alien who had hated him even two weeks ago. Then again, Zim had just woken up. And he was cute and cuddly at the moment...

"Nope!" Dib said, poking Zim in the side. A small squeak rumbled up from the other, making a grin appear on the human's face. So Zim was ticklish, eh? Might as well exploit it, as long as he was there-

"Di-i-i-ib…" Zim moaned, holding the other boy flush against him and shifting until he could bury his face in the dark hair. "Ple-e-ease?" He whined, sounding like a lost puppy. Two lithe arms tightened their grip on the waistline of Dib's pants, as if that would keep him there longer. Zim was always cold when he woke up and the human provided an excellent source of warmth.

"Z-Zim?" Ok, now the situation was a little awkward. _But oh-so-good- What?!_ Wait a second… Oh, he must still be dreaming. After all, Zim would never act that way in real life… "Alright…" And he returned the embrace, cuddling up to the alien and closing his eyes. Five more minutes wasn't such a bad idea…

**FLASH**

Zim and Dib's eyes flew open and, dreading what they would see, turned slowly to the source of the clicking sound. Gir was standing there, giggling like a maniac and holding Bria's disposable camera.

"Mastah and Big-head, layin' on the ground, once was lost and now is found… Wa-a-a-ait… It goeses like THIS!" A microphone randomly popped into his hand and music started coming from nowhere. "Mastah and Dib-Big-Head, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Then comes… uh…" Gir stopped, then giggled. "I'MA PUT THEM ON E-BAY!" And he raced inside to develop the photos.

"I'm going to _kill_ that robot…" Zim growled, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing them with two tightly clenched fists. The human hormones were going crazy, demanding more sleep and more cuddling, _right. now._ But Zim would not give in that easily! Oh no, for he was AMAZING!

"I dunno. He could become a lead singer for an emo band, the way he screams." Dib said, chuckling as he rolled off of Zim. He was about to sit up when a pale, three-fingered hand shot out and pulled him closer again.

"Did Zim say you could leave, Dib-monkey?" Zim said, staring at the human with one eye narrowed. The other just looked at him, wide-eyed, yet he didn't try to get away. Before he could reply, the Irken cuddled up to him, clinging to his shirt tightly. A shiver rand down his spine. "Zim is cold…" He murmured, moving closer to the Dib. Two hesitant arms slowly wrapped themselves around Zim and the Invader grinned. _Victory!_

"Why don't we go inside then?" Dib whispered against Zim's ear, unaware of the antenna hidden there. So when the alien moaned softly in response and blushed a little at the sound, he was rather surprised.

"D-do that again." Zim said, hands clenching tighter on the black shirt. He knew the earth-monkey wouldn't understand so he tilted his head to the side, exposing more of his "ear."

"Zim…" Dib exhaled sharply, the hot air rushing over the fleshy lobe. "What are we doing?" _What am _I_ doing? Three years ago, if someone had told me I'd be falling for my greatest enemy, I might have laughed and vomited at the same time. In fact, I'd probably've told them they were crazier than _I_ am. And that's saying something._ Nonetheless, he began to rub Zim's back gently, trying to bring warmth into the shivering body.

"I dunno…" Zim groaned, mind gone hazy at the affectionate touch. He had never felt so relaxed, so safe in the arms of another; never accepted touch so easily and returned it freely. It was starting to scare him, this willingness to allow the human free reign of his body and to not fight back.

They might have stayed like that longer, except for Mini-moose. The purple balloon animal squeaked and Zim understood immediately. _There's a transmission coming in from the Tallest. You'd better get inside right now. They're looking rather angry._

"Dib." His voice was shaking badly, making the human a little worried. "I-I need to get inside. Right now." Nodding, Dib rolled off of him, watching as the alien-in-disguise rushed into the house without a backward glance. A sigh fluttered past the boy's lips and he stood, walking into the house as well.

* * *

A/N: Alright, well, you got some cuddles of d00m in. xP Before I decided I couldn't continue any longer without half-assing it. Sorry, everyone, I'm just a little braindead at the moment xX; Damn mid-terms... 

Oh, and I'm officially going to hell. -laughs- I wrote half of the bottom section during church. And my church is extremely homophobic.

SO... I have a question for all of you; please answer in your reviews. Whichever one gets more votes ends up happening in the story. Here ya go: Who's a better bottom, Zim or Dib? I can see them both bottoming at this point... -laughs- But I'd rather you, the reviewers, tell me what you think.

See you all next chapter! (Again... ZOMG TEN CHAPTERS! Farthest I've ever gotten -hearts-)


	13. Chapter 11: The Road Not Taken

I am SO late. I apologize! -dies- But the updates will probably be sporadic now, on a "when-I-can" basis. I'm sorry, you guys! School is beating me over the head with a pitchfork and I'm struggling to keep up right now.

On a good note, this chapter is a whopping ten pages long! Woo! The beginning part is probably my favorite. It was a hell of a lot of fun to write, too. It's based a picture called "Space Dance" by Rini-sama. It was so inspirational, I just had to put it somewhere in here! It's probably one of the more beautiful ZADR fanarts I've seen and I highly recommend you go check it out by using the link in my profile.

Also, concerning who's bottom... -snickers- Well, I won't disclose what I'm going to do. Needless to say, it's going to be extremely entertaining and hopefully it'll surprise a few giggles out of you. -cackles-

"The Road Not Taken" is owned by Robert Frost. There is a choir arrangement that my school sang my freshman year, so it's technically a song. And it fits.

And now, after making you wait so freakin' long, here is Chapter 11 of "Go The Distance"!_

* * *

_

CHAPTER 11: THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

_Floating on an ethereal plane, looking out across a vast and sparkling ocean. The water danced fluidly, some drops catching the rays of light from the sun and shining brilliantly. Tiny sparkles spread out over all that she could see, flowing back and forth in endless waves. Reaching down a hand that was somehow not a hand, she brushed the liquid with fingers that weren't truly there._

_The image broke apart like glass, shattering in a myriad of hues. Rainbows glistened as they fell to a giant ballroom floor. She fell as well but did not panic. All would be fine; how she knew this wasn't quite understandable. Two feet landed on the amethyst floor and she realized her body was much more solid and less wraith-like._

_Soft music filtered into the air, filling the endless ballroom with the sounds of a gentle orchestra. The unearthly strains sent a wild kind of excitement through her crystal-like veins and she began to dance. Long arms glided through the air gracefully; feet moved slowly and fluidly. There was no time in this place, so when the song stopped abruptly, she wasn't quite sure how long she had been dancing._

_A large portal opened, blazing white light into her eyes. Out stepped two figures, both presumably male. One had black hair, a strange type of cowlick soaring over his head and brushing the back of his neck. A white tuxedo hugged his slim body nicely, gold shoes and buttons bringing out the matching color in his eyes._

_He held the hand of a green-skinned individual wearing a flowing white dress. Gold bangles, two on each wrist, jingled merrily in the silent room. Two armlets of the same color, as well as two anklets, gleamed in the soft light. Ruby-red eyes glistened as the two stepped onto the floor, black antenna hanging by the sides of his head._

_She watched them, mouth agape. Two of the most beautiful people she had ever seen and here she was, dancing like a lunatic! Immediately stilling her feet and resting her arms to her side, she blushed a dark crimson. As she floated backwards, she saw them begin to dance together, each motion punctual and on the mark. The flick of a wrist, a flirtatious glance sent here and there. It was more a dance of dominance, of love and hate and a mixture of confusion, than her flowing, unpredictable dance._

_Suddenly, the green boy's steps faltered and he moved back, out of the reach of the other. His expression was sad, as if he had lost everything. A pale hand flared out, reaching for the alien-like individual. The two golden eyes of the human were suddenly scared; panicked that his partner was leaving. There was just too much distance between them, though. Both seemed routed to the spot, as if their feet were glued to the floor._

I can help them. _She thought uneasily, looking between them. _But I don't know if I should…_ Movement now choppy like a storm over sea, she glided forward unsteadily and, ever-so-gently, grabbed the dark-haired boy's wrist. Surprised, he looked at her side-long. His eyes were still trained on the alien, who had turned his back on the other and now faced her. She reached out a hand for him and, hesitantly, he took it._

Remember._ She whispered as she brought the two hands together. The instant their knuckles brushed, they were wrapped up in an embrace with each other. Tears streamed down their faces, as if they had found something dear after being lost for so long. They began to dance anew, but it was different. Now it was filled with love, fluidity, passion; nothing else. She watched them dance, a smile flitting across her face. She was unaware of the delicate gold chain coming from her chest now connecting her to the other two and another figure she couldn't discern. Until the three pulled her down into a swirling black abyss filled with bright lights and loud sounds…

* * *

_

Bria sat up straight in bed, eyes wide. Her breath came slowly and deeply as it always did when she first woke up. _What the hell was that about?_ She asked herself, shaking her head in an effort to remember her dream. All that would appear was a gold chain coming from her heart and…

What else?

Sighing in frustration, she rubbed her eyes with two large fists, looking around the room grumpily. Bria always hated waking up in new places. Its not that she would forget where she was. On the contrary, she always remembered where she was, regardless of what her books had told her of waking in strange beds and not knowing where they were. No, she hated it because it meant she wasn't home, where she felt most safe. And this was definitely not a safe place to be at the moment.

Bria stretched in bed, toes curling and back arching slightly. Such was her anger this particular morning that she actually picked up her pillow and threw it at a wall. It wasn't just the frustration of not being home, it was also that she couldn't remember her awesome dream.

Suddenly, a loud knock echoed through the room. She sat up straighter and glared at the door. "What?" She grumbled, only getting another knock in response. Putting on her best "here's-a-sweet-smile-now-get-the-hell-out-of-here" face, she called, "Come in!"

"Help me sell them on E-baaaaay!" Gir screeched, the door opening and closing swiftly as he came barreling into the room. Surprised, Bria fell backwards, only to have the robot jump onto her chest. She squeaked, looking up at him with scared eyes. The scared look quickly dissipated, though, when she saw he was holding photos and grinning cheekily. "I gots them pictures of Mastah and Big-head-boy kissin'! Why is his head so big? Whyyy is his heeead so biiig?"

"Really?" She asked, excited now. Sitting up and leaning against the headboard, she reached for the pictures. Gir jumped away, smiling. Confused, she tilted head to the side and gave him a quick smile. "Can I see them? Er… please?"

"You gotta dance wit me first!" He cried, holding the pictures in the air. Blinking, she looked at him with wide eyes. _Dance?! I can't dance!_ She thought hysterically. _But… I wanna see those pictures…_

"Ugh… Fine." Bria got out of bed and began to randomly dance. It wasn't very good, to tell the truth, but it _was_ dancing. After about two minutes of this, Gir giggled and held out the photos. She stopped instantly and snatched them out of his hands. Sitting down, she began to look through the pictures, a goofy smile appearing on her face. Gir crawled into her lap and she cuddled him a bit, both beginning to giggle as they looked at the pictures.

* * *

Zim raced down the stairs into the lab, skipping two at a time. A form of Irken adrenaline pounded in his veins, forcing him to run faster to the Communications Room. What could the Tallest want? After three years, were they giving him the chance to prove himself? This sent uneasy excitement down his spine; could he really go through with such a thing now? Or would his newly acquired human-ness take over and stop him?

He stopped dead in his tracks, feet skidding on the floor loudly from the shoes he was still wearing. If they gave him his mission back… What would happen? Zim was bred for loyalty, for conquest and destruction. But the human hormones had since invaded his system, making it almost impossible for him to act completely Irken anymore. And then there was the Dib and the Bria-human… Gir was also completely attached to Earth…

And Zim? How did he feel about the planet?

Shaking these disturbing thoughts from his head and realizing how long he was taking, he continued his wild running. Finally, after sprinting around the base (when the hell did he get that many _torture_ rooms?!), he reached the CR. Taking a few deep breaths to steady his rapidly beating heart, he turned off the disguise and walked casually into the room.

Red and Purple looked down on him from the large screen distastefully. Pure, unadulterated loathing was in their eyes, sparkling at him with anger and true hatred. It was obvious that this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

"My Tallest," Zim said respectfully, saluting with his antenna. "This is quite a surprise." His tone suggested that it wasn't quite an enjoyable surprise. The look in their jeweled orbs crushed his hope of being anything but a defective failure in their eyes. _Is that a good thing or a bad thing?_ "Pardon my forwardness but what prompted this call after three years of silence?" A tone of angry bitterness crept into his voice, which surprised both the Tallest and himself.

When had Zim grown a mind of his own?

"Cut the act, Zim." Red said, discarding the disturbing thoughts and narrowing his eyes. "You know exactly why we're contacting a banished defect like you." Purple continued to glare down at the ex-Invader, expecting him to confess to whatever crime had committed this time. Red, however, was looking around the room, searching for something that seemed to have gone missing.

"M-my Tallest?" Zim said, confused. "What are you talking about?" _What are you looking for? I didn't steal anything…_

"Our spy, Zim! Our spy! What did you do to him?!" Red growled, antenna pressed against his head in aggression. Purple stood slightly behind him, letting his co-ruler take control of the situation. Zim's antenna flattened instantly, ruby-red eyes narrowing furiously. How dare they send a spy to… to _baby-sit_ him! To watch over him and make sure he wasn't a bad little Invader and tried to leave!

"I assure you, _My Tallest_," the way he spoke their names was filled with disgust, something he had never felt for his former leaders. "I have done nothing to whatever spy you sent after me to coddle me." Perhaps it was his defective nature or perhaps the hormones that prompted his actions. Regardless of what drove him to the decision, he reached forward and ended the transmission for the first time in his one hundred and fifty-nine years of existence.

Rage built up inside him, indignant and furious. Finally, it spilled over and he tore apart the room with his spider-legs, screaming profanities in Irken. The thought that they would be able to contact him again didn't even flit through his mind, too blinded by fury to care about anything but himself at the moment.

After a close encounter with a swinging electrical cord, Zim slumped against a wall and buried his face in clawed hands. A whine escaped him as he tried not to cry. He drew his legs to his chest and fell into a kind of fetal position. Keening like a smeet, he stayed there; unable to leave his past but equally unable to face his future…

* * *

Soon after getting directions given grudgingly by the computer, Dib went to go find Bria. He was relieved that she was ok; in fact, Zim hadn't done anything to her yet, which was surprising in and of itself. What was happening to him? Three years ago-

Three years ago. That was the key to the whole thing, wasn't it? It was what had happened three years ago that changed Zim most. Suddenly, the rants stopped. The fights and plots and immense hatred stopped. _Everything_ stopped. He became calmer, quieter. Dominance was relinquished in favor of blending in to the race he hated most. And then Dib had nothing to do…

Shaking himself out of these thoughts, he realized he was standing in front of her door. Dib was about to knock when he heard giggles coming from the inside. One voice sounded suspiciously like Gir, followed by girly "squee"-ing noises. _Maybe the door's unlocked?_ He thought, reaching forward. The door whooshed open silently, revealing an alert Bria looking at… something and giggling like some kind of deranged fan girl. Gir was sitting in her lap and both turned surprised eyes to him as he walked in. Immediately, she hid whatever they had been giggling about behind her back and gave him a weak smile.

"Uh… morning." She chirped, trying to look innocent and failing horribly. Dib raised an eyebrow as he walked into the room and pointed at her hidden hand.

"What were you looking at?" He asked suspiciously, turning his gaze to Gir. If it came down to it, the little robot was much more open than any other human. Both Bria and Gir squeaked guiltily, looking at each other with uneasiness in their eyes. Dib briefly wondered how a robot could have emotions in their eyes but quickly discarded the thought. Anything was possible when it came to Zim and his alien technology.

"N-nothing." She said, trying to sneakily hide whatever she had in her hand under the pillows. Dib watched this, eyebrow raised. What was she _doing_? Did she think he was a complete moron? "See?" Bria then brought both hands out, showing that there was, indeed, nothing.

"What did you put under the pillow?" He asked, moving forward. He might have made it, too, if a metallic blur hadn't rushed forward and tackled his head. A surprised squeaking sound flew from his lips as he fell backwards and landed on his butt.

"Why is your head so big? Whyyy is your heeead so biiig?" Gir whined, poking at the scythe-lock. This made Dib frown. Why was everyone constantly referring to his (very normal-sized) head?!

"My head is not big!" He retorted, trying to pull the robot off of his face. A stifled giggle reached his ears and he glared at Bria, who was currently watching the entire thing with unrestrained amusement. Unfortunately, the "glare" just made Bria begin to laugh uproariously, filling the air with gleeful sounds. Feeling himself cracking under the happiness, he began to laugh too.

Gir eventually got off his head ("I made you sad!") and went to go sit in Bria's lap again. A soft smile appeared on her face and she picked Gir up like he was a toddler. Giggling, he put his hands in the air. "It's a roller coaster!" He screeched; then looked thoughtful for a moment. "Or a peanut butter and noodle sandwich."

"When did you get to be so cute?" She asked, talking like one would to a baby. Then she hugged him tightly. "You're so cute! I want one!" Both squeaked and giggled, Dib watching them with an eyebrow raised. He got up off the floor and, while they were distracted, quickly reached under the pillow and grabbed the hidden objects.

"Aha!" He cried triumphantly, holding up… pictures? Blinking in surprise, he looked at the picture of him and Zim lying on the ground. His eyes widened and a dark blush spread over his cheeks. Bria made a small "meep" noise and quickly reached over, yanking the photos from his hands. Giving him a small glare, she held them to her chest.

"These are _mine_!" She cried. _And I won't let you steal them!_ She thought, looking up at him with indignant eyes. It seemed he was still in shock; he was looking at what had once been a picture, now just air. Bria could almost see the gears turning in his head and knew that he couldn't see her warning glare. "Dib?" There was a bit of worry in her tone now; he had yet to respond.

"What?" He said, shaking his head and lowering his hand to his side. "Hand them over, Bria. If Zim finds out you have them… Well, it just won't be a good thing."

"If Zim finds out what?" The alien himself walked into the room. His voice sounded crackly, as if he had screamed for hours and his eyes looked more moist than normal. Both humans turned to him, shocked a little at his disheveled appearance.

"Zim?" Bria voiced her confusion. "Did you lose a battle to a fiery whip?" Gasping a little at her own bluntness, she covered her mouth with her hands, trying to shrink into herself. Two bright red roses bloomed on her cheeks and she giggled nervously. "I mean… you, uh… look nice this morning…"

Zim was caught by surprise, not having thought of what he looked to the others. Sighing in resignation, he put his head in one clawed hand. Waving the other in dismissal, he said, "It's none of your concern, human… Just a little malfunction in the Communications Room." His antenna flattened a bit at this statement, remembering the conversation before. "Now what would I be upset about?"

"Nothing!" All three chirped, trying their best to look innocent. Zim raised a non-existent eyebrow, seeing guilt written over their faces. The trio exchanged nervous glances at his less-than-impressed expression.

"Just something Gir found, that's all." Dib said nonchalantly, forgetting that Bria was currently pressing the objects in question against her chest. And, with Zim's amazing perceptual abilities, noticed this right away and frowned.

"Let me see them." He commanded, a scowl taking over the frown quite quickly. The two humans shared an anxious glance before Bria hesitantly handed over half of them. Zim snatched them out of her hands and began looking through them. Most were just random pictures of Bria and her friends. He saw nothing incriminating there. Confusion replaced the annoyance and he looked at the two. "Why did you not want me to see these?"

"Uh… They're just kinda personal to me is all… I don't know why Dib thought you'd be upset." Bria gave the paranormal investigator a look that clearly said, _Play along!_ Understanding almost instantly, he nodded, forcing a little bit of laughter. "Anyways…" She turned back to Zim, giving him a hopeful half-grin. "D'you think I can go home now? Because, and I mean no offense by this, but I would really like to go home."

"That depends." Zim said, looking down at her haughtily. "Can you keep a secret?"

"That depends." She mimicked him, raising an eyebrow. "Is it life-threatening?"

"That depends." He mimicked right back, a slight grin appearing. "Does being cut open and having my organs removed count as life-threatening?"

"That depends." Bria repeated, her own grin widening. "Will they be put back?"

"That depends." Zim was being to feel very amused with their little game. "Do you think humans are that kind?"

"That depends." She said, her grin beginning to fade a little. "Are we talking about the same race that's killing its environment and its own people for a little bit of oil?" Zim didn't get a chance to reply.

"You guys!" Dib said, throwing his hands out between them. "Stop asking rhetorical questions and copying each other and just converse like… like normal people."

"Hey!" Bria cried indignantly, pointing a finger at his head. "Don't you talk about normal to _me_, Dib! You're the one that traveled all over the US to find an alien! _And_ you lived in Membraneville, where they-"The tirade stopped short and her eyes grew wide. Putting her hands over her face, she took a deep breath and moved them away again, all trace of teasing gone from her face. "Where… uh… experiments happen." She finished lamely. It was obvious that she had just avoided something and not very skillfully, either.

"Membraneville?" Zim said, confused. "It has a name now?"

"Yeah." Dib chimed in, trying to ignore Bria's awkwardness. "Mayor Man named it after dad a few days after you left." Another knife wedged itself into his heart at the thought but was quickly plucked out when he realized Zim was standing right in front of him. Zim just shook his head, seemingly not paying much attention to the conversation anymore.

"I see…" He murmured, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples gently. A giant headache had just slammed into his head like a sledge hammer and he wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and sleep for a year. Unfortunately, with the present situation, it seemed he would never get to do so. "Going back to your question, Bria-human… It all depends on whether or not you can keep a secret."

The girl looked at him, worry shining in her eyes. _He looks like he's in pain… Maybe not physically (although I could see why)… But more emotionally, maybe mentally. Why, though?_ "Zim, this is your _life_ we're talking about. I can be cruel and selfish sometimes. Hell, everyone can… But when it comes to things like this…" She shook her head, knowing she wasn't making much sense.

"I'm a pacifist, Zim. I don't like seeing others in pain and… I wouldn't sell you out. Despite how angry I may get with you in the future or anything else…" There was no emotion in her voice, no desperate plea for him to see that she was telling the truth. "It would literally kill you and… I could never, not in a million years, kill someone else." Suddenly feeling uncomfortable with the entire situation, she averted her eyes, clutching the covers tightly with clenched fists.

Zim watched her curiously, antenna twitching a bit at her honest answer. Sincerity was a hard thing to pull off in their race and Bria had managed to do so. Six innocent eyes, one pair cyan and one pair gold, watched him, while the other brown pair were averted and anxious. As he opened his mouth to give an answer, he was rudely cut off by Dib.

"Can I talk to you for a moment, Zim?" He said, striding forward and promptly hauling the alien out of the room by his upper arm. Squeaking in surprise, Zim had no choice but to allow himself to be dragged, watching as the metal doors whooshed shut and made Gir's and Bria's shocked faces disappear. When they stopped a little ways away, he turned around and faced Dib, crossing his arms and appearing annoyed. Inside, though, he was rather amused.

"What is it, Dib-worm?" Zim demanded, once again raising the non-existent eyebrow. "I have business to attend to and you're just stalling for time."

"Are you going to let her keep her memories?" Dib asked bluntly, not even bothering to be offended by Zim's harsh statements. His expression was dotted with worry and a tiny glimmer of hope.

"What do you expect me to do?" Zim responded, curious as to what Dib was thinking. Watching as the gold eyes flickered back and forth behind the thick glasses, he was struck by how absurd the entire situation was. Dib was here, in his base, and not trying to attack him or expose his organs to the world. A flash of suspicion flew through his mind, then abruptly hit a brick wall. The human had kissed him yesterday… Wasn't that a sign of affection on Earth? A symbol of devotion and love? He almost shuddered at the too-human emotion.

Then there was the Bria-human, sitting in a nice bedroom instead of a cage-sized test tube like she should have been. When had Zim gotten so… thoughtless about his own life? Was he simply testing the waters, daring danger to rear its ugly head? Or was he finally allowing the walls around his heart to break down and crumble, letting others into a place that no one had seen before?

When had he begun to change and why?

"You're erasing them." Dib said, sounding both disappointed and relieved. The disappointed was expected but… why relieved? "I mean, Bria's cool and all and it would be nice if someone besides me knew the truth… But…" He sighed, brow furrowing as he tried fighting off an impending headache by pinching the bridge of his nose. "You can't risk it. For all that she's done for me, and probably for you too, it's just too big of a gamble…"

"Hmmm…" Zim hummed a little. Then the zippered teeth drew wide, grinning mischievously. "Well, anything to lower expectations, I suppose." This made Dib blink a few times, very confused as to what Zim meant. Then it clicked.

"Really?" He exclaimed, excited and confused. "But why?"

"Do I need a reason, Dib-worm?" Not one to disappoint though, he added, "I'm tired of just having you to banter with. The Bria-human is entertaining and seems sincere in her pledge to keep my race a secret. Why do you ask?" The grin grew wider, devilishly glinting in the bright light. "Are you jealous that someone else knows?"

"I am not jealous!" Dib cried, but the anger he had meant to portray was overshadowed by the ecstatic feeling rushing through him. Lowering his voice, he continued, "There's no way I could be jealous over you, Zim." A smirk played across his face as well. "Do you want me to be?"

Before Zim could answer, Gir came racing out of the bedroom. "TAQUITOS!" He screamed, running down the hallway and beating a rubber piggy over his head a few times. Then he rushed back and said, "She be crying. I make her waffles of joy!" Screeching, he sprinted away again to the upstairs.

"She's crying?" Zim said questioningly, antenna rising up and down curiously. "Why would she be crying?"

"She probably thinks you're going to dispose of her or something. Maybe you should go tell her the happy news?" Without even thinking about it, he let his hand drop down to Zim's and gripped it loosely, dragging the other back to the room. The second his ungloved hand came in contact with the human's he was lost to the world. _He's so warm._ He thought incoherently, unable to fathom the rest of the world afterwards. _Are all humans this warm?_

When they entered the room, Bria hurriedly wiped away her tears. It was obvious she was quite distressed and in need of comfort. Too bad Gir had left to make waffles; she wanted a hug pretty damn badly.

"We've discussed it…" Dib said, looking side-long at Zim, who returned the glance. Nervousness played across their faces, but more to build up the drama and get her worrying. Bria bit her lip anxiously, expecting the worst.

"And I've decided…" Zim took a big breath, as if he were going to say something along the lines of, _you have cancer._ "You can keep your memories."

_Blink. Blink. Blink. Does not compute._ Bria's eyes widened to the size of golf balls, a strange look for her to be sure. "Wh-what?" Her expression was YouTube worthy.

"Have you the brain worms?" Zim huffed, raising the non-existent eyebrow for the third time. "I said you can keep your memories… But you have to let me do something for you in return of your loyalty. A… promise, if you will." That had both hers and Dib's attention. Zim had said nothing about a promise.

"A… promise?" She asked hesitantly, confused. "What kind of promise?"

"There is a word in your human bible… The one with the imaginary super heroes…"

"Gods?"

"Yes, those… What was the word? Ah yes, covenant. I shall do something for you. And, in exchange, you shall keep my identity a secret." Zim said, grinning a bit. Oh, such plans he had for her! He could only hope she agreed.

"…Ok." Bria said, the entire situation having a very "give-your-soul-to-Satan" feel to it. What had she signed up for?

"I want to perform a few… experiments." The grin drew wider at her sudden nervous expression and the tightening of Dib's hand. "Nothing your human doctors haven't already done, I'm sure… No, it is a simple enough procedure. One that is perfected in your culture. I'm quite certain you'll enjoy the outcome." Extending the other clawed hand, his grin softened a bit. "Do you trust me?"

For the longest time, Bria sat there, looking at the offered hand with uncertainty. In all honesty, she barely trusted him at all at this point. She'd only met him a week ago and that wasn't enough time to build up the confidence she had in the rest of her friends. Then again, he'd had the past week to annihilate her and hadn't. She knew more than most anyone would know on Earth, more than she should, and yet he was allowing her to keep this knowledge… For a price.

Hesitantly, she got off the bed and walked up to him. Auburn eyes flickered downwards for a moment, looking at the promise of a new life. Perhaps a better one. Then again, perhaps not. For all she knew, he could put a squid's brain in place of hers! Turning her uneasy gaze back to his face, she saw the openness in his expression, the genuine warmth.

"…Y-… Yes…" Bria grabbed his hand timidly, looking scared and intimidated. But behind the fear was the glimmer of hope. "But… can you at least tell me what you're going to do?"

"Let's just say it's something you've been wanting for a long time. And maybe you didn't even know it." Zim said, shaking her hand firmly and sealing the promise. Dib watched the exchange quietly, unnerved by the Irken's "covenant." What was he planning? The handshake ended quickly and Zim turned his bright, ruby-red eyes to Dib, the grin regaining its devious nature. The human grew nervous under that stare. "You must promise me something too, Dib-thing."

"What?" Dib asked irritably. "Do I have to jump through hoops of flames or eat Gir's peanut and soap waffles to prove my loyalty?" Needless to say, Dib was quite suspicious about this promise Zim was offering. Nevertheless, he knew he would probably agree to it, if only to stay near the alien.

"Nothing so horrible… Or I suppose it _could_ be considered horrible…" Zim turned to Bria. "Would you say your school is horrible?" Despite the seriousness of her situation, she still managed to smirk, knowing what he was planning.

"Oh yes, it's awful!" She said dramatically, putting a hand to her cheek in mock-horror. "The teachers actually _teach_ you things and you have to learn all of this interesting –I mean – horrible information! And the choir is the best in the state! It's just horrible!" Bria added the finishing touch by pretending to stumble backwards, a hand over her heart. Dib didn't understand for a moment, which seemed to be becoming a habit in Zim's presence.

_Click_. That, ladies and gentlemen, was the sound of Dib's brain working again.

"You want me to go to school?" He asked, confused. "Why?"

"Because if _I_ have to go, _you_ have to go." Zim responded, sounding like the smart-ass he was. "Now, if you excuse me, Bria and I have to have a quick discussion about her new living quarters for the time being.

_That_ stopped her in her tracks. "What are you talking about?" She asked, looking scared again. "I can't stay here! I have to go home eventually-"

"And you will." Zim cut in. "But what I'm planning for you couldn't just happen overnight. Unless you want to explain to your parental units what I am. Which, in that case, you'd have to stay here anyways." Expression softening a bit, he added, "You said you trusted me, so trust that I am doing what I have to do to ensure that everything goes as planned and there is no suspicion."

She didn't respond for a few seconds but eventually nodded hesitantly. "I… suppose." Sounding unsure, she looked away for a moment, then looked back again. "And I'm guessing I can't leave your house, right? But can I have free reign down here, at least? And can I call my family and my friends sometimes?" Bria looked so lost, so trapped, as if she didn't have a choice in the matter.

Zim knew he would erase that look from her face forever when the procedure was done.

"You can call them if you like but come up with a decent story…" Gears whirring into motion, he came up with one himself. "I remember you telling me that Tony broke into your room. How?"

"Th-through the window… But what does that have to do with anything?" She asked, blinking.

"How good are you at acting?" He said, looking lost in thought.

"Um… I can sound pretty hysterical, if that's what you're getting at. Do you want me to pretend I've been kidnapped or something?" The very thought of being kidnapped by Tony sent a wave of repulsion down her spine.

"Demonstrate these hysterical abilities then." Zim demanded, watching her closely. Dib stayed silent, watching the exchange as if through a stranger's eyes. One minute Zim was his old, bossy self; the next he was the new, soft and quiet Zim. It was slightly strange, to tell the truth.

Bria took several deep breaths, preparing herself. Then she burst into tears, knowing it wasn't all fake to begin with. "M-mom? It's me, Brianne. I-I don't know where I am and…" She sobbed a little, rubbing an eye to coax the tears out. "T-Tony's here too and… He's… I dunno what's up with him but it's scary…" Then her tone grew hysterical and high-pitched, making her sound like a terrified child. "Oh shit! He just got home. I'll call when I can, mom. I love you." Pretending to hang up a phone, the tears stopped instantly and she wiped them away. Raising an eyebrow, she said, "Will that do?"

Both Zim and Dib were uncomfortably silent for a moment. The little tirade had sounded so real that the two were ready to leap forward and comfort her as best they could. The alien simply nodded, too dumbfounded to speak. Then he shook his head and smiled a little.

"Come, Bria-human." He said, extending the hand of friendship out again. "We must prepare you for the procedure." She grabbed it with no hesitation this time and they exited. Together they walked to a medical room.

Zim, an alien, was the only common link between the two humans. So strange were they: two an odd brownish-pink color and the other a bright green. And yet, so alike in so many different aspects of life. Shunned by those they only wanted respect from but defensive of those they cared for, even if the ones they defended didn't quite deserve it.

If one looked closely, you might even be able to see the golden ghost-like strands beginning to connect the three together.

* * *

A/N: Yay, we're doomed! The plot will pick up again in the next chapter, as well as reveal the "procedure" has in store for Bria. Don't worry, my friends, it's nothing bad and I will not allow Zim to botch it up... Even though it would add to the overall angst of this fic.

But first of all... HOLY SHIT WE GOT PAST 100 REVIEWS!!!!111lololeleven!!11!!! I owe you all a _huge_ THANK YOU. That made my week. I'm serious, it did. It gave me the kick in the butt to say, "Shit, I have to go post again..."

Second of all, what do you all think of Bria? And be brutally honest with me: does she seem mary-sue-ish? Do you hate her? What's your overall opinion of her character? And do you want me to make a character profile of her so you know more about her?

Third of all, for those of you who were wondering why I was asking who should be top and bottom if this is a T-rated fic, I will NOT be posting that chapter on because they don't appreciate those kinds of fics. However, I _will_ be posting it on for those of you who are interested. But it won't be happening for quite a long while. I'm not big on "Omg I love you lets have sex right now, oks?!" That's not the way to develop a relationship, kiddies. Do you have sex with your new crush/boyfriend/girlfriend a day after going out with them? If the answer is yes, please do explain why.

Fourth of all, there will be a new OC coming into play in a few chapters. I can't tell you much about him but I can tell you that he's NOT an Invader. Because, honestly, there were only 45 of them to begin with and having one so close to Earth, when it's supposed to be on the fringes of the universe, doesn't make much sense now, does it? Anyways... does the idea of a new OC scare you? If so, I'm sorry. He's pretty damn important to the plot, so I can't get rid of him.

Well, I've ranted for a good fifteen minutes now. My brain has officially turned to mush. PLEASE READ ALL OF THE ABOVE. It means a lot to me.

See you all next chapter, which should hopefully be updated sooner -laughs- OH, and review. And create fanart -hearts- Because you love me so much!.. Or maybe not... Either way! Love me, hate me, I don't care as long as you draw me pictures!

I sound like Obsessor from Squee!... Dear God, my ass is huge! -cries-

Ok, I'm done now.


	14. Chapter 12: Let Me Fall

-mouth gapes open- Oh. My. God.

A month and a half. A MONTH AND A HALF WITH NO UPDATES!

You guys, I am SO SORRY. Please, pleasepleaseplease, forgive me for this horrendous lack of updates! -grovels on her stomach- I have been SUCH a bad authoress -dies- Please tell me you're all still reading -sad face-

Ok, well, this chapter introduces... -dun dun dun-... **_PLOT_** hooray! And for all of you Membrane fans out there... I'm sorry! -hides- I kinda... bashed him. A lot. Please forgive me! -cowers-

The song used for the title is "Let Me Fall" from Cirque Du Soleil. The lyrics were pretty, especially when sung by my idol, Josh Groban. -happy face-

Sorry that the chapter doesn't make much sense. And it's STILL un-betaed, so... Sorry! -grovel grovel-

And now, after a month and a half of silence, I present chapter 12 of "Go The Distance"! ENJOY! -smiles-

* * *

CHAPTER 12: LET ME FALL

Zim was in there for the rest of the day. No sound passed through the door, no indication that he was almost done with the "procedure." Occasionally, Gir would pop in and out of the doors on his master's orders, always with shining red eyes.

Dib, who was worrying over the girl, eventually dozed off outside the room, leaning against the wall. His dreams, however, were far from relaxing. Still chased by the ghost of his insanity, always eating away and tearing out his heart…

_Dib, Dib._ It chided. _What do you think you're doing? You don't honestly believe that Zim is telling the truth about his mission, do you?_ When Dib tried to explain about the tears the Irken had shed, his inner voice scoffed. _Tears of pearls, my boy. Don't you remember how he's tricked you before? He's simply waiting for you to let down your guard again and he'll leave you all alone. And this time, he'll know you'll try to track him down and go so far away that you'll never find him._

"That's not true…" Dib murmured in his sleep, brow furrowing. "'S not true… Zim'll…"

"Zim will what, Dib-worm?" A voice broke through his unsettling dreams, sounding distant and far away, almost faded. Dib wasn't aware that the real thing was talking to him and grunted a little in his sleep.

"Zim won't leave again…" Dib grumbled, shifting slightly to try and get more comfortable on the floor, yet unaware that he was doing so. "He can't… Wouldn't be… fair…" His words dwindled away to nothing and he was silent once again. _Ha, do you actually believe the things that you say? My dear child, he _will_ run away again and you're quite aware of that…_

"Wake up, Dib!" That same once again shattered his dream world, effectively waking him up. Startled, the boy shot up off the floor into a sitting position, looking bewildered and slightly scared. Zim was kneeling in front of him, looking dead on his feet. Blinking sleepily, he managed to speak around his sudden yawn.

"How'd it go?" Barely thinking about the motion in his half-awake state, he pulled the kneeling alien into his lap. Zim squeaked in protest but didn't try to move out of the human's embrace.

"It went fine. She should wake up in a few days." He said, mimicking Dib and yawning as well as he got comfy. Then a thought appeared into his foggy mind, making his antenna flatten slightly against his head. "Hey, Dib. Can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm? Oh, sure." Dib mumbled, leaning forward and resting his head on the black-clothed shoulder of the lithe Irken. Still shaking slightly from his dream, he tightened his grip a bit around Zim's waist. By burying his face into the other's upper arm, he didn't see the nervousness flash across the alien's face.

"Why did you kiss me yesterday?" Zim asked quietly, closing his eyes so as not to see the human's face when he answered. _He didn't mean anything by it._ The ex-Invader thought sadly. _Dib was just trying to get me to let him stay... There's no way he truly cares for me in such a way._ And Zim felt ashamed that this made his Irken heart constrict painfully, almost as if he _wanted_ this human's affection and (dare he say it?) love.

"Wow, Zim." Dib said, grinning a bit against the black fabric before moving his head off the other's shoulder. "I didn't know you were _that_ stupid." Grabbing Zim's chin, he forced the alien's face to stare right back at his own. Bewildered, the Irken opened his eyes, not quite sure what the gesture meant.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Zim said, too astonished to be insulted by the "stupid" comment.

"You know what I mean." Dib retorted, leaning forward until their foreheads were touching. "Do you forget things so easily?" Too tired to care about what he was doing and saying, he stared the alien right in the eyes. Shocked rubies looked into dark, fathomless gold, getting swallowed up in the molten rush. "I kissed you because I _like_ you, Zim. That's what humans do. If we like someone, we kiss them and hope they like us back."

"B-but I'm an alien." Zim said, feeling his heart speeding up at the other's nearness. And still, he wasn't trying to get away. He didn't _want_ to move away, didn't want to leave the heat and affection the other boy was radiating. Feeling ashamed to admit it, even to himself, he _wanted_ to feel loved and cared for, something that he had never felt before in his 159 years of life.

"And I'm an alien to _you_, aren't I?" Dib said quietly, taking notice of Zim's reluctance to leave. "If you don't like me, I'll never kiss you again. But I won't ever, _ever_ leave you." _Because I can't live without you._ Dib thought to himself, trying to convey the emotions inside through his eyes and into Zim's mind. _Because I'm nothing without you. You are my everything and I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you. I would've gone crazy long ago and just killed myself. Don't you see that, Zim? I don't want to be alone anymore…_

"But you were always… you never said you liked me!" Zim cried almost accusingly, still trying to find a way out of the situation without giving into his own human desires. He so badly wanted to tell the other that he liked him, too.

"That's because I didn't for a long time." Dib retorted. His tone wasn't angry or condescending, just bluntly telling the truth. "But about three years ago, I did start liking you. Right after…" He swallowed thickly and looked away for a moment. "You were banished." Turning back to the other, he let all of the emotions in his eyes show through: affection, caring, love, sorrow, hope, fear. "Please… Don't give me other excuses. Just… tell me how you feel…"

"Dib…" Zim didn't know what to say. A battle was being waged inside himself, one that had perhaps started three years ago. The two sides were his Irken self and his more human self. One wanted to stay clear of the Dib and all that he had to offer. The other wanted to cling to the boy and never let go. Finally, after three years of fighting for dominance, one side won out.

Leaning forward just a bit more, he barely brushed his lips against Dib's, hoping for a good reaction.

Needless to say, the human was shocked. He'd been expecting, more than anything, rejection. But definitely not this. All his life, Dib had been disappointed by those things he believed in. And now the person he believed in most was giving him exactly what he wanted. Closing his eyes, he returned the kiss softly, tightening his grip somewhat so their bodies were pressed against each other tightly.

They stayed that way for a few moments, clinging to each other as if they never wanted to let go. Finally, Dib broke the kiss and leaned back a little, happiness sparkling in his eyes like never before.

"So… does this mean we're…" Unable to go on, he twirled a finger in the air, as if that would provide the rest of the question. Zim didn't understand, tilting his head to the side. Maybe the human was speechless? Coughing a little from embarrassment, Dib tried again. "Are we… g-going out?"

That caught Zim by surprise and a faint orange blush crawled into his cheeks. He was sure that, had he been human, the blush would've spread to his ears and neck. Regardless, he managed to nod a tiny bit, smiling.

Not knowing how to show his joy any other way, Dib leaned forward and kissed Zim again. It was so strange, these feelings. He'd never even felt this way about a _girl_ before, much less an alien. Perhaps it was just the fact that he'd been obsessed with Zim for so long or maybe he had always secretly liked him.

Zim broke the kiss this time and looked at Dib with bright eyes. "Doesn't this mean you have to get me a ring?"

Woah. Back up.

"What?" Dib said, blinking in surprise. Then a bright red blush spread over his cheeks, managing to reach his ears much like Zim had been imagining for himself a moment before. "Oh. No, Zim, that's only for people that are getting… Er… m-married." Gah, this was such an awkward conversation now!

"But Di-i-ib," Zim whined a little, knowing it would make the other feel guilty. "Don't you want to buy Zim a ri-i-ing? Maybe it could be like one of those things Zita and Torque had…" He made a funny face at the mention of the couple. They were too open about their… ahem, sexual escapades. "Promise rings?"

Zim sure knew how to pull Dib's heart strings! The human instantly felt guilty and he gave into the other's demands. "Sure, we can go get some promise rings if you want." Chuckling a little at the mention of their old classmates, he leaned forward and rested his head on the alien's chest again. "Can we do it later, though?" Yawning for the third time that night, he nuzzled the other's body a bit. "I'm still tired… And you are too, from the looks of it.

"Hmph." Zim snorted a bit but his expression softened, realizing how bone weary he really was. "Alright." He grumbled, not sounded as annoyed as he normally would. The entire situation just felt too dream-like, almost as if it wasn't happening. He'd never felt so… _needed_ before. It was a nice feeling, though, and he could only hope that, if this was a dream, he never woke up.

Now the only question was when they were going to sleep… And where.

When Dib awoke the next morning in Zim's bed, he was a little confused as to where he was. Turning on his side, he saw the alien's face, blissful in sleep. A soft grin finally stole over Dib's features as he realized exactly where he was and who he was in bed with. Nothing had happened the previous night, he noted, because they both had their clothes on. Regardless, it had probably been the best night of his life.

Lying there next to Zim gave him some time to think about his current situation, something he had as of yet been unable to do. To start off with, he was in love with his once enemy. How strange fate takes us into her hands and molds us to her liking! Another strange thing, however, was that his thoughts were clear for the first time in days. He wondered why at first but then noticed his glasses were off. Perhaps his head was being pinched by the too-small lenses…

Sighing, Dib realized he should probably go take a shower. Zim would most likely make fun of his stinky self if he awoke any time soon. He was about to move out of bed and get ready for the day when a green hand shot out and wrapped itself around his waist. "Zim didn't say you could go anywhere, human." The owner of the hand grumbled, pulling the other closer to him. Shuddering a little (he was always so _cold_ when he woke up!), he clung tightly to Dib, nuzzling his face into the pale blue shirt the human was wearing for pajamas.

"I didn't say you could pull me back, either, but here I am." Dib muttered, allowing the other to retain dominance for the moment. Besides, cuddling with a pouty Zim was much preferred over facing the world at the moment. "What time is it?"

"Hmm…" Zim checked his internal clock and muttered, "About six thirty. Why?" Grinning cheekily, he looked up. "Got any plans for today?"

"Well, I was supposed to get enrolled at Bria's high school, wasn't I? And isn't it Monday?" Dib said, yet made no motion to get out of bed. He was simply too comfortable. He felt Zim's head fall against his chest and it took a moment for him to realize that he was nodding off. "Oh no you don't!" Dib exclaimed, reaching down and brushing his fingers lightly over the alien's sides. With a squeaking laugh, Zim tried sitting up, but only managed to fall on top of the human. He was being mercilessly tickled and could only gasp in air between giggles.

"D-Dib, haha, stop i-hehe it!" Zim managed to say finally. His ex-enemy grinned and stopped, letting go of the other. Flopping down, the Irken landed with an "oof!" on Dib's belly. Breathlessly laughing still, he was unaware of the human falling asleep himself. Yanking on Dib's famous scythe-lock, he said, "If Zim can't sleep, then neither can you, Dib-worm."

"Five more minuuuutes." Dib groaned, trying to turn on his back and burrow into the pillows. But Zim wasn't having it. Giving the black lock of hair a sharp tug, Zim grinned as the human shot up out of bed, flailing around to get out of the tight grip. Finally he sighed and leaned into Zim's personal bubble, glaring all the while. "You suck, you know that?"

"Yes, yes, Zim is amazing." The ex-Invader replied, letting go of the black strands easily. A question popped into his head and he looked rather surprised. "Hey, Dib. May I ask you another question?"

"I think you just did." Grinning, he ducked down to avoid the alien's half-hearted swipe at his head. "But go on, ask another one or two." Zim rolled his eyes at the comment but did as he was bid.

"Where is your mother? I have only ever seen your father unit but never a mother parental figure." Zim's tone went from playful to serious. It was something that had been weighing on his mind for months now but, with his past relationship with Dib, such a question would be met with a scoff and a, "Wouldn't you like to know?" From the look in the boy's eyes, it seemed he hadn't given it much thought in a long time. Furrowing his brow, Dib looked away for a moment.

"Dad didn't really talk about her. Gaz and I just figured she died in childbirth. I mean, we've never seen pictures of her or anything…" Shrugging helplessly, he turned back to Zim. "I was actually going to see if I could find any files in dad's computer about her… Just for closure or something." Shifting nervously, he looked into bright red eyes. "Maybe… you could help me?" He said hopefully, grinning anxiously. So much had happened in the past twenty-four hours, it just seemed like everything was moving so _fast_ for Dib. One minute he was enemies with Zim, the next they were going out.

Zim nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Yes, yes, I can help you find your mother… I've also been wondering about these 'experiments' Bria was talking about earlier. What kind of things could your father be up to?"

Without even having to ask each other what they were going to do, they both stood up and began to get dressed in separate rooms, getting ready for a day of work. And so much work there was to do: find out who Dib's mother was; look up information on the Professor; and learn what kind of hideous experimentations were going on in Membraneville…

The two worked diligently for hours on end, only stopping for quick lunch/dinner breaks and the occasional bathroom break as well. It had been decided that they would hack into the Professor's computers but that was turning out to be harder than expected. Finally sighing in exasperation and frustration, Dib sat down in a chair next to Zim, who's fingers were flying across an Irken keyboard faster than most humans could type.

"Any luck?" The human asked, looking at the screen hopefully. That hope was crushed when Zim just shook his head, pausing in his movements to look at Dib.

"You should get some rest, human." He remarked, moving a finger out and brushing it above Dib's cheekbones. "You're getting dark circles underneath your eyes."

"I'll be fine." Dib retorted, sitting up a bit straighter. "I've stayed up longer than this watching _you_, Zim. Don't worry about me." Turning back to the computer, he watched the Irken characters fly across the page, noticing some symbols were repeated more than others. _Probably A's or E's or something…_ He thought wearily, trying to stay awake. Truth was, he had exhausted himself with excitement and kept hoping that something would turn up.

Zim didn't respond right away, still searching for the hidden code into the Professor's files. Eventually, his fingers stopped moving across the keyboard and he frowned in frustration, rubbing his eyes tiredly. While Irkens didn't need sleep, looking at a computer screen for hours on end did tire out one's eyes.

"I'm tempted to look on your filthy internet and just see what kind of information I can find…" Growling angrily, he banged a fist on the Irken keys. "I can break into your Government facilities quicker than a moose can eat a walnut but I can't hack the files of the moron who created _super toast?!_" As suddenly as the anger had come, it melted away, replaced by interest. "I wonder what I might find by looking at the inter-"Without finishing his sentence, he turned to the computer again, quickly typing away. Sites popped up on the screen, some news articles, others about his random amazingness.

"Stop!" Dib cried out suddenly, having seen something worth looking at. "Go back to that one site. 'Professor Membrane Haters Club' or something like that." Zim did as he was told and a malicious grin spread over his face at the links splattered across the page.

"Conspiracies? Forums? A lot of people hate your dad, Dib." Zim said, clicking on the "Conspiracies" link quickly. A long list appeared, even some mentioning his "wife" and the absurd concept of an alien he'd found being sent to Area 51. Moving quickly to the link about Dib and Gaz, Zim watched as a long page unfolded.

_Its been whispered in the inner circles of the PMHC about the controversial conception of the Professor's children, Dib and Gaz. Some say that his wife died in childbirth but everyone knows, even those who _don't_ hate him, that he would never be able to keep a wife around._

_No, the answer is much more complicated and perverse than most would like to believe. We here at the PMHC suspect that Dib and Gaz are test tube babies, made from the Professor's own DNA. There's quite a lot to support this theory. For instance, the extreme intelligence the two seem to have. While many call Dib insane, it's also very understandable that he's a straight-A student and rarely, if ever, misses class. Even Gaz, who resorts to playing her Game Slave 2 for the most part, is bright and gifted and keeps up her studies, regardless of new levels on her video games._

_Another example of the Professor's own DNA being the only prevalent DNA in the two is their hairstyles. It would seem a silly point to make but it has yet to be seen how two children can have such gravity-defying hair without the help of their father's DNA._

_But something must have gone wrong in the DNA transfer process. Gaz is as dark as a cloudy night sky, bringing thunder and fire to those who cross her path. Dib, on the other hand, is the epitome of sunshine: always optimistic, trying to save the Earth any way he can (even if he can seem slightly insane at times.) Both are too caught up in their own worlds to follow the footsteps of their father._

_Whether it can be truly said that the two are the product of another one of the Professor's twisted mind and even more twisted experiments remains to be seen. But the Professor has never married (as seen by public records) and is in the lab far too often to engage in sexual activities. For now, it is only speculation._

Zim and Dib stared at the screen, jaw's slack. Could it really be the truth? It seemed possible; after all, Membrane had never been the sanest scientist in the bunch. But would he really conduct such an experiment on _children_?

"It all makes sense…" Dib finally murmured, shock laced in his voice. "Why he always wanted me to study real science… He must have only called me insane to provoke me into giving up the paranormal and following in his footsteps…." His grip on the back of Zim's chair grew tight, knuckles turning bone-white in furious indignation. "Go look up his experiments… The ones Bria was talking about…" Anger was coursing through his veins' all his life, he had harbored the secret hope that the mysterious mother he'd never had would reappear and take him away from his overbearing, yet neglectful, father. Now just a crushed dream, another thing that had eluded his grasp.

Such things can turn you bitter and cynical if you're not careful.

Zim did as he was told, slightly afraid of the way Dib was acting. Hesitantly, he clicked on the link and began to read, timidly reaching back and grabbing Dib's clenched hand. Zim was relieved that the fingers relaxed some ad wrapped delicately around his clawed digits, searching for warmth and comfort.

_The Professor has been very open about the experiments he's performing in his nameless city. It's basically a test of endurance: how much pollution to food, water, and mind can a population stand before they wither away? Quite a lot, if the thriving people have anything to go by._

_But we have proof of a much more sinister plot in the works. The Professor is a selfish man, surviving on ego and not much else. He's also a genius, albeit an evil one. How does he hide his work form the very people he's experimenting on? Simple: turn them into zombies._

_Zombies is meant metaphorically, not in the literal "I'm-going-to-eat-off-your-hands" sense. A few months after he stated his hypothesis ("Human beings have the amazing ability to adapt to any situation.") and gathered the necessary volunteers (families who were in need of some extra cash and willing to live in free housing for a few decades,) they secretly began to rebel against him. To appease his growing fear of losing his scientific reputation, he created an over-the-counter "happy pill." Masking it as a cure for stress, he insured that every adult (and perhaps half of the teenagers) would buy it._

_And they did so, finding that, amazingly, the stress fell from their shoulders. But they began to realize that, if not taken constantly, their stress would return tenfold, along with aches and cramps and horrendous migraines._

_So Membrane turned the people into living dolls who praised him and loved him, never questioned his reasoning and never again rebelled. He continued to feed them polluted meat, tainted water, and barely breathable air. Under the influence of the Professor's amazing stress cure, the people thrived, became more stupid, and expanded the boundaries of their city. Soon, their idiocy caused them to invent their own products, services, and fast food chains. Poop cola, malls monitored by a man who turns people into _real_ zombies, and MacMeaties; all horrible and perverse._

_The secret to the pills is very simple; tiny nano-bots that go straight to the brain and target (specifically) the frontal lobes (used for logic and reason) and the hippocampus (creating new memories.) Thus, this insures that they never question his reasoning and have memories that are rather fuzzy. Depending on the certain person, the nano-bots will concentrate on the place where memories are stored and, if deemed dangerous, systematically have the memories destroyed._

_How did we get all this information, you ask? Simple. One of our correspondents, who we'll give the alias of "Lou," has a cousin who lives in the city. He was told of this miracle drug and, being part of the PMHC, hurriedly asked for his cousin, nicknamed "Morgan," to fly over for a visit._

_Upon arriving, Morgan was skittish and not altogether pleased with having her brain scanned (which is understandable.) But she allowed us to look at the damaged parts and, when asked, also allowed us to examine the pills. We've lobbied the government several times to look at our concrete evidences but it's now under heavy scrutiny that President Man Bush is under the influence of the miracle stress cure._

_One can only hope that a man smarter than our President will take notice of our constant letters and finally give us at least a meeting of some sort. Until then, we'll continue to press on and show the world exactly what Professor Membrane is doing to the people who love him so._

"What… the hell?" Zim said first, shocking Dib out of his slack-jawed trance by the uncommon use of the word "hell." Shaking his head, the human looked at the screen for a moment longer; trying to process what was going on in his mind.

"Oh my God…" Hurriedly turning away from the computer, he squatted down ad tried desperately not to faint. It all made sense, it was all so clear; the meds at the Crazy House for Boys; the constant pressing of being insane, all trying to make him break. It didn't just make sense, it was the complete truth. Dib _knew_ what his father had been up to but was too worried about Zim or too much in denial about his own dad to admit it. He had had a chance to stop this, even if he was only eight when it began, and he _didn't_. It was all his fault, he could just feel it.

"Dib?" Zim kneeled down next to him, gently prying his hands away from his now tear-streaked face. "Dib, talk to me. Are you ok?" Taking a deep, shuddering breath, the dark-haired boy nodded… Then promptly fell on his butt.

"I-I can't believe…" He let the air whistle out from between his stretched-tight lips and groaned, closing his eyes. "God _damn_ it…" Muttering now, he added, "I left Gaz all alone there, too…" Two big gold eyes looked out from behind large glasses, begging Zim for… something. "What am I going to go?"

"You're going to go to bed, human. This has obviously taken a toll on you." Zim said, trying to act like his normal, bossy self. Regardless of his haughty tone, however, concern was etched all over his face. Hauling the other up, he led Dib into the bedroom and tucked the unresisting human into bed. "Sleep." The Irken demanded, brushing away a strand of hair as those pretty nebula-gold eyes fluttered shut under the emotional stress. "I'll be back later." He whispered before slipping back into the room to look at the rumors about the alien in Area 51.

Zim had a theory and he was going to see how right he was…

* * *

A/N: Can you guys guess what's going to happen with Professor Membrane and this secret alien being captured? I bet at least half of you know. -smiles evilly-

Yes, no appearance of Bria in this chapter. She's still out cold and will wake up next chapter; you'll be able to see the effects of her amazing surgery and hear the hysterical (in a sad way) phone call to her parents. And perhaps Zim and Dib going to school... If I feel like it. AND TONY GETTING TORTURED! COOKIES AND PRAISE FOR THAT, YES?!

Ok, so, about that new character that I'm DEFINITELY going to introduce next chapter... Yes, as some of you have already guessed, he's Irken. But NOT an Invader. I won't fall under the Marty-Stu cliche, no sir, I will _not_. But hopefully you all like him. -happy face-

PLEASE REVIEW AND AGAIN, I AM SO SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT! -grovels-


	15. Chapter 13: Move Along

Guys, I am... oh my God, I don't even know what to say at this point. It's been almost _seven months_ since I last updated. I don't think "sorry" even covers it now. I hope to be a lot more brisk with my updates from now on, but I lost inspiration for a few months there, and I hope that I didn't lose many readers. As a present, this chapter is 12 pages! TWELVE PAGES!... Please forgive me! Gomen nasai! -bow bow bow bow bow grovel grovel bow-

"Move Along" is copyright the All-American Rejects. I do not own. For other disclaimers, check back with the first prologue/chapter. I forget which it is and I'm too tired right now to check, since it's now 2 in the morning.

I dedicate this chapter to **LadyBugKatie** for all her wonderful inspirational tips and her kick in the ass to finally _finish_ this chapter.

At long last, chapter 13 of "Go the Distance"! And again, I am _so sorry_ for the long, agonizing wait. I hope you enjoy it, regardless! -bow repeatedly, spluttering apologies-

* * *

CHAPTER 13: MOVE ALONG

Dib woke up to blinding sunshine, a pounding headache, and a cute little alien (wait, what?!) curled up on his side. For a moment, he was confused as to why said alien was currently cuddling him and clinging to his waist like he was the Irken's only lifeline. But the memories of yesterday came crashing into his head like a freight train: becoming Zim's "love-monkey"; learning about his own conception; and the horrible, horrible truth of Membraneville. Two golden eyes shut tightly for a moment, not wanting to see the world he had to deal with. Instead, he turned a bit until he was face-to-face with Zim and clung to the alien's waist tightly, burying his head in the other's chest (having to move down slightly to do so.) Tears welled up and a few leaked out, until the soft white t-shirt Zim had worn to bed was slightly stained.

"Dib?" A sleepy voice said softly right above his head and, hurriedly, he backed up, wiping away his tears. But before he could get too far, a hand had shot out and pulled him back, cradling him against a soft, warm (slightly damp) chest. "Do not be ashamed of crying, Dib-worm." Zim chastised softly, the words Bria spoke a few nights ago flitting back into his mind. "Everyone needs to cry sometimes…" Dib gave in and began to cry softly in earnest, unable to hold back the tears he'd kept denying.

Finally, when he felt like there was no more water left in him, he sniffled and pulled away just a little to wipe his eyes. "S-sorry about that, Zim." He muttered, embarrassed at the way he had fallen apart. Two ruby eyes were rolled expertly. Then a soft sigh was uttered as two clawed hands went to the hem of his shirt and began to tug the wet material upward. A sharp breath whooshed out of Dib, making him feel as if he'd just been punched in the stomach. But it was a _nice_ punch, if that's at all possible.

Smooth green skin, unbroken by lines or (interestingly enough) nipples, like humans had. Just an expanse of touchable sage skin, that if he were to reach out just barely—

"What are you staring at, Dib-thing?" Zim asked, looking confused (adorably so.) The only reply he got was the human turning a bright red and thinking, _God damn all hormones to hell!_ Rolling his eyes again, the Irken sat up, pulling Dib with him at the same time. "Come, human. Let's go see if Bria is awake yet."

They hurriedly dressed into new clothes, not looking at each other, before Dib thought of something.

"The thing you did to her… D'you think she'll like it?"

"Ah, Dib-monkey," Zim said, grinning like the maniac he was. Dib didn't like that grin at all. "Regardless of whether she likes it or not, I still want to see her face when she wakes up. It's bound to be interesting, to say the least. And you haven't even seen her surgical modifications yet.

"Let's go wake up the worm-baby."

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Ugh…"

If this is what it feels like to wake up, then Bria wants to stay asleep for fucking _forever_. God, _everything_ hurts. She tries to move her leg and finds that, despite being severely asleep, it is very moveable. Eyelashes flutter up, revealing a hospital-like room. _Oh, that's right. Zim did some weird shit to me._ She knows she should be curious, but the world's such a haze right now and she can't even form coherent thoughts beyond, _why the hell does my stomach feel like it got pressed with one of those torture devices? All holey and… shit. I need to get up and see what the hell he did to me._ She tries moving again, but finds that sitting up is _quite_ beyond her capabilities at the moment.

Lights dance before her eyes, and she realizes that they are just the ones above her head. But that doesn't explain why they seem all swimmy— _oh. I'm crying. I'm crying?_ Hands reach up slowly to feel her face, to brush away the tears that are streaming down for apparently no reason. Movement stops suddenly. Something is so deadly wrong, it isn't even _funny_.

Instantly, she is awake. Despite the pins-and-needles effect currently coursing through her body, she sits up, because she has to know, has to see, it can't be real—

"No fucking way." She breathes out, heart stopping in her chest for one traumatizing moment, because there is no way that reality has turned so topsy-turvy, has become so wrong and _bizarre_. Then her heart is moving too fast for her to keep up, almost like she's having a heart attack, but that can't be right, because she is taking in too much oxygen from hyperventilation. "Zim… Oh my God, _Zim,_ you fucking crazy bastard, what did you _do_?!" She doesn't realize that she is whisper-screaming the words, but that doesn't matter.

Hands trail over a flat white stomach, moving on to bony hipbones, and then down to skinny legs. Shaking, long-fingered hands look for the marks she knows should be there, all of the scars and blemishes and stretch marks and bruises. But there is nothing, nothing. Just lightly tanned skin, the only remnants of her old body being the freckles. Even the bump on her ankle (the one that had been there for _two years_, her own non-perfection mark) is gone. Everything that made Bria… _Bria_, it is all gone. Hands shoot up to feel her head, and even some of her face is less fleshy than before.

But worst of all, the scars that once littered her arms (the ones she swore were accidental, whenever anyone asked) are gone. The reminder of the things she'd made herself endure, have been completely erased. She thinks of how, whenever things got _too_ hectic, even for her, she became the typical angsty teenager and—No. That is over and done with and she refuses to dwell on it. A finger brushes the spot where the "X" shape used to be, trembling as it traces smooth, unmarred skin.

She begins to cry in earnest.

It isn't that she isn't grateful to Zim for this miracle. Nor is it that she isn't glad that the fat is gone forever. But it is too unreal and some part of her is _pissed_ at Zim for what he's done to her. Bria isn't sure if she wants to slap him or hug him when he comes in to check in on her later on today. What happened to doing it the natural way? What happened to _not_ cheating the natural way? Hadn't Zim listened to her at all? Suddenly, she feels inexplicably angry. Angry and sad and lonely and weak. And like she needs a hug, really badly.

Eyes close again, lost in confused feelings (and not the fun kind, she thinks to herself in a failed attempt to lighten the mood, although what the fun kinds of confusion are she can't tell at the moment.) She isn't sure if she'll be able to live with this, with her (_mental cringe_) new body. It's much too soft, no muscle to speak of. Will this change her life? she wonders absently. Will boys flock to her now, not because she is smart or because she has a beautiful personality, but because her outward person is, as they call it, "hot"? She slams a hand down on the stark-white comforter, tears leaking out from squeezed-shut lids.

Bria does not like this.

Bria did not _want_ this.

And Zim should've known better than to mess with her like this. Because there's no going back now; she can't return to who she once was and, apparently, she is stuck down here for a few months so that when she returns home, the change in her body structure will make sense.

No, she does not like this at all. Because her essential… _Bria-ness_, her human imperfection, is _gone._

The tears flow faster at this thought.

_Who am I now?_

_Who am I…?_

* * *

"Bria-human? Are you awake?" Zim's voice was soft, to make sure that if she was still asleep, he would not wake her. _Yeah, I am, no thanks to you._ She thought bitterly. Body tensed, new muscles weak, she waited for him to draw closer. Bria had to be ready.

"The computer showed signs of movement. Are you alright?" Zim inched forward, worried. Her stress levels were abnormally high, but he wasn't sure why. This made him anxious. Was she in pain? Had he done the surgery wrong? It was simple enough on Irk, for those who wanted it. But was it different for humans? Had the removal to most of her body done something, psychologically, emotionally, physically? Finally, he was close enough to check the IV in her arm. The IV that had suspiciously been removed.

Something was very wrong here.

Unfortunately, he didn't realize he was close enough for her to attack, as well.

For someone who had spent the past few days asleep in the Med Wing, she was surprisingly strong. Or perhaps her nails were just longer and sharper than they had been a few days ago. Bria was up in an instant, hands flailing, scratching, clawing. A shriek of elation rose from her throat as a few of the shallow cuts welled with drops of orange blood. No, she wasn't strong enough for a _real_ assault. But this was enough, for now.

It was just a brief scuffle (the computer finally woke up and pinned her to the bed) but when she lost, she was sobbing. "What have you done to me, Zim?" She cried, pitifully burying her face in her hands and keening softly. Sensing no more violence, the computer retracted its tentacle-like restrictions and she was left, sniffling pathetically on the bed. Zim felt no pity. He was surprisingly angry.

"I fixed you, human!" Zim yelled, frustrated and throwing care to the wind. "I made sure that you were strong enough to survive in this world! I gave you the promise of a better life and destroyed all imperfections! Do you _enjoy_ being ridiculed for your appearance? Does it make you feel better? You should be on your knees and kissing my boots for giving you a new chance at this life that you have so harshly failed at until now!" He meant to yell at her for a few moments longer, but her expression stopped him.

Instead of shock, instead of grief or shame or confusion, there was anger. Her eyes of bark and dust, of richly-turned earth, burned with a molten fire that surprised him, because he had not known that level of emotion, that level of _loathing_, could exist in someone so soft and quiet and gentle. Those boiling eyes were accusing him. Accusing him of making her something that she had never expected to be, and wasn't ready to be.

"Human imperfection is _beautiful_." She hissed, unable to get her temper (or the tears flowing down her cheeks) in check. "I fell in love with Mike, not because he was perfect, but because I could _relate_ to his _mistakes_, his _failures_, his own short-comings. I fell in love with Tony because I thought he was perfect, and look how that turned out, right?" Her tone was bitter. Part of her was glad she was facing this part of herself, but the other was just screaming and raging. "Just imagine how boring this life would be if we were all _perfect_." She spat the word out as if it were something dirty in her mouth. "Don't preach to _me_, Zim. I'm _part_ of the fucking choir." With that, she flopped onto her other side and stared stonily at the wall before her.

Bria's audience stared in slack-jawed silence; Dib was a little awed at her rant and Zim was surprised that her argument had made sense. Antenna wilted suddenly. She was right; he should have asked her permission first, at the _very_ least. But then determination surged through him, black stalks standing up proudly on his head. The human would see, it was all for the best. Pushing the guilt back, he beckoned to Dib and they left quietly, not realizing that as soon as the door shut, Bria was sobbing again.

_I'm sorry_, she thought. _I'm sorry that I couldn't be grateful._

* * *

"So… what do we do now?" Dib asked, after having printed out all the information on Area 51 that he could. After leaving the Med Wing, Zim had declared that they had a mission to complete, and then left to go collect weapons and other useful stealth equipment. Meanwhile, he had left the Paranormal Investigator to the task of finding as much as he could on the secrets of Area 51, and their location, if at all possible. Dib was now bored. He had been waiting for at least an hour and a half now and Zim didn't seem very inclined to hurry now that he was out of the labs downstairs.

"We, human, are going to this Area 51."

Silence.

"Uh, Zim… I know you read about that supposed alien being taken hostage or whatever, and maybe it could be the spy that went missing, but—"

"There's no doubt, Dib-monkey, that this is the missing spy." Zim's voice was utter conviction, brooking no argument, so the human gave none. They went to the Voot cruiser and hurriedly put all the things that Zim had found in the "basement" into the "trunk" (which was something akin to an Eternity Cube(1), but the space was vaguely limited.) Gir and Minimoose were given specific instructions to keep Bria awake and out of trouble (Gir, in particular, was given the job of giving her many hugs and waffles.)

"She just got out of the Med Wing this morning, Gir, so you have to be careful with her. No hugging too tight or she'll explode." Cyan eyes widened at this.

"Explode?" He asked softly, seemingly wondering if Zim was telling the truth.

"Yep. Just like your pig friend did a few years—"

"PIG FRIEND, I MISSES YOUUUUU!" Gir started shrieking, and nothing made sense after that to Zim. But he thought he got the message across.

At least, he hoped he did.

The duo set out right after that, using the coordinates that seemed to appear in most of the paranormal fansites. It was going to be a long journey (four or five hours, considering the Voot hadn't been charging regularly in the past few days) and it was unnaturally quiet for the first two hours. Both boys were reflecting on the past few days. Not only had their relationship changed and morphed into something much more beautiful and caring that it had been previously, but it had happened so quickly! And with an out-of-the-loop human's help, no less! Something was strange about that, but yet, to them, nothing felt out of place. In a strange way, it felt as if they were picking up where they had left off in a dream, once upon a time.(2)

"Zim?" Dib broke the silence first and received a blankly shocked expression in return.

"Hmm?" Zim looked flustered about something, his disguise's pale skin flaring a rosy pink around the cheeks. He didn't know how well he'd programmed the disguise… until he saw the blush reflected back to him in Dib's glasses, making the faint splotch of color grow even more. Much to the brunette's amusement.

"Something on your mind, spaceboy?" He asked teasingly, an easy grin flitting to his face. "Got another hare-brained scheme on how to conquer the earth now?" The alien quickly relaxed, the banter reminding him that things were _too_ different.

"Yes," He said, dead-pan. "I'm going to stab enough humans with sporks that they all turn into zombies and those that don't become all 'blaaargh' I'll feed to the robot weasels." Betraying his serious façade, an answering smirk appeared on his face. "Oh yes, Dib-filth, I have _maaaany_ plans for Earth, all of them more horrendous than the last." Laughter erupted from both of them.

"Man, you haven't plotted in so long that I forgot how _stupid_ your plans were." Dib said, slipping a finger underneath his glasses to wipe away a tear of mirth.

"Hey! I resent that!" Zim said indignantly, although still sniggering faintly. "Giant Peepi would've worked if he hadn't turned on me. And Zim would've destroyed you a few different times, if your devil-y sister didn't save you every time." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Which reminds the Almighty ZIM," he made a point to make the name more grandiose than normal, making it harder to keep a straight face, "why did she save your ass all those times? The girl doesn't even _like _you!"

"Yes she does!" It was Dib's turn to be indignant. "She cares!... in her own abusive way." A wince crossed his features as he rubbed his arm, a lingering bruise from her last punch hidden by the human's trench coat.

"Ah. 'Tough love.' Never understood it myself." Zim waved a hand in dismissal, but the brunette caught on to something the other had just willingly admitted.

"Did you just say that the great and almighty Zim didn't understand something?" The honeyed-eyed boy pretended to be shocked and horrified, putting his hands to his face and widening his eyes until they were magnified by his glasses. Zim spluttered, trying to form a coherent sentence amid his frantic scrambling for an answer to the teasing.

"Zim knows _ALL_!" He cried, standing on his chair and pointing to the sky. Not that he really believed that anymore, but if they were resorting to old behaviors, then he was going all the way. "Insolent fool boy! Irkens know all about tough love!" Hurriedly, he shoved away memories of Saturday: the transmission and the anger and the dissolving loyalty and the hate—

"Zim?" The smile on Dib's face faded away, replaced by a worried frown. "Are you ok? You just… stopped. What's up?" The alien didn't respond, just turned to the window and looked out despondently at the sparse landscape. _Can't this bloody hunk of tin move any faster?!_ He was unaware of Dib moving closer until two arms slipped around him from behind. Tensing, then relaxing in the embrace almost instantly, he sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back into the warmth of his companion.

"It's nothing you need worry yourself over, human."

"But I _am_ worried. So tell me." Anxious that he sounded too demanding, Dib tacked on a hasty, "Er… please?" A slight chuckle, barely humorous but there, was his response.

"I… received a transmission from my Tallest on Saturday." Quickly, he recounted the details and tried to make it as painless as possible. "So you see," He said, winding down. "There is a reason why we are going to Area 51 today. If the spy has gone missing, and many websites proclaim that an alien has been taken into custody, we must make sure that such any Irken, even one that was sent to…" He made a face, trying to think of a good way to explain what said spy might have been doing.

"Babysitting you?" Dib said, clearly amused. A swat of a black-gloved hand was aimed at his head but it was weak and he could feel that the other wasn't very angry with him at all. "So, what, are we going to be heroes or something?"

"Ugh, do you have to make it sound so… not bad?"

"I'm already the champion of the world, Zim, no need to make _me_ go to great lengths to save the human race." A grin flitted across his face lightning fast and he nuzzled Zim's neck. "Lookit me, I even captured an alien." _Snigger_.

"Watch your tongue, human." The ex-Irken Invader said, snagging the scythe-lock on top of Dib's head and yanking playfully. "Don't tempt me to put it to better use than mockery."

"O-oh? What kind of use?" Dib couldn't admit what he was thinking, nor could he deny that he was a teenager and very sex-oriented when it came to such comments. It was too bad that Zim meant to crush all his dreams at every turn.

"My boots need cleaning." As if to prove his point, he raised a black-boot-clad foot into the air. "Mind licking the dirt off of it? You were made to worship the amazing Zim, after all."

"Oh, of course." Dib said, rolling his eyes but still grinning, keeping the exchange light and friendly. "Shall I bow down and bring you soda and snacks for the rest of your life, _Master Zim_?" The name was foreign on his tongue and he chuckled a little. What wasn't expected, though, was the sudden tensing, than unclenching of the body under his hands. Ignoring it for the moment, he continued in the same cheerful tone, "It'll take a lot more than snarky comments like that to get me to worship _you_, Spaceboy."

"We'll see, human." The alien muttered, grinning deviously. "We'll see."

* * *

"Are you effing _insane_, Zim?!" Dib whisper-shouted as they ran down the secret halls of Area 51. A loud alarm was screeching a warning and a female voice was shouting frantically, "Intruders in the building, intruders in the building! All units to hallway 93, all units to hallway 93!"

"I thought-" _huff _"That the stupid-" _huff "_safety system" _huff huff _"was off!"

"Remind me to kill you when we're out of this mess." Dib muttered angrily under his breath as they sprinted into the area that was labeled (very inconspicuously) "Alien Lifeforms." Hurriedly, Zim broke the code and they rushed into the room, closing the door behind them. Instantly, a laser gun of some sort was in the alien's hand and he melted the steel opening together.

"I've bought us some time, but not much." He said, breathing heavily, having done more running than the human. "We need to find the spy and we need to find him _now_."

"Got it." Dib said grimly, rushing to the first glass tube he saw. Floating inside was a blue alien with white horns, seemingly asleep. _Prisoner 233: Vortian_.

"They captured a Vortian?" Zim whispered in horror, walking up to the glass pod. "We have to leave _now_, human. These humans are more dangerous than the average." Hurriedly, they ran up and down the aisles upon aisles of aliens, trapped on Earth. The Irken made a grim promise to return here one day and save his caged brethren. Perhaps they weren't the same species, but he would rescue them, regardless. _Becoming a hero, Zim?_ A voice mockingly asked in his head, which he quite blatantly ignored in favor of finding the spy.

"Found him!" Dib yelled suddenly, an aisle and a few pods over from Zim. It made the green-skinned individual nervous that the human sounded sick. Regardless, he rushed over and almost got sick himself right there at the most inappropriate moment. Suspended inside the tube, wires attached to the alien's PAK, was unmistakenably an Irken. His skin seemed to have been burnt recently and there were faint scar marks from probable experimentations. A strange, blue-colored gel held him securely in the pod, but from the attached computer's read-out, most of it was water. Zim felt nauseous. This alien was floating in _water_?

_Humans are such a cruel, barbaric race._

Dib vomited right then and there, horrified.

Zim, however, was a trained Irken Invader, and as such was ready for these kinds of situations. Quickly dismantling the computer, he smashed open the tube and caught the body of the spy as deftly as he could. Despite Zim being rather on the small side, he carried the even-smaller individual very easily. _Dib planned on doing this to you._ A voice cruelly, mockingly, gleefully pointed out in his head, which he promptly replied with, _shut up._

"Dib. Stop making sicky noises and let's get out of here." The human, finally finished vomiting, nodded grimly and pressed a button to send the Voot Cruiser crashing into the room from the ceiling. Hurriedly, they entered the cockpit, Dib taking the unconscious Irken from Zim's arms so the disguised alien could take control of the ship.

"Stop in the name of—"Before the armed man (who had just burst into the room with a dangerous, nasty-looking gun of some sort) could finish, he was interrupted by—

"Love?!" Dib shouted, lobbing an egg-shaped smoke bomb at the man's head. As a noxious, poisonous-looking green gas filled the room, the strange duo escaped through the hole they had already made. The sound of choking and coughing was the last thing they heard of Area 51 before Zim put on the cloaking device and the auto-pilot.

* * *

"Gir, get out of the way!" Zim shouted angrily, already on-edge because the Voot Cruiser, though fully charged after its bath in the desert sun, had still taken a full thirty minutes to get back to the base. The human had instantly given the body back to the alien and gone to a corner to throw up. _Dib is sick again_. Not that Zim could care at the moment, though. "Computer! Bring myself, the guest, and the Dib down to the Medical Wing, NOW!" Not bothering with snarky responses, the computer meekly obeyed, sending them plunging into the deep recesses of the base.

It was complete panic and chaos for the next ten minutes. The patient (which was what he was, at the moment) had to be treated for the water burns and the scars had to be healed and erased. Then, the poor alien was revived again by painful shocks to his chest. The second he was awake, he was screaming out war cries. It took more than twenty minutes to get the Irken spy to calm down and stop thrashing. It was Bria, watching with wide eyes, that finally got him to come around. She snuck up behind him, then swiftly turned him around and raised a hand, shocking him into a frozen position.

"GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF, YOU HYSTERICAL JACKASS!" _Smack!_

"Don't take out your frustrations on him!" Zim roared, looking shocked that she seemed to have acted so violently. Then again, she was human. "You should not hurt recovering victims of _torture_!"

"He wouldn't shut up!" She screamed back, looking wild and slightly crazy, standing there in nothing but a thin, white medical gown and hair sticking up in wild spikes (which was Gir's fault, she was quick to assure later.) "Besides, I barely hit him! He was getting hysterical, Zim, and you damn well know it! It was either _you_ hit him or I did, and I knew you wouldn't do it unless you had to, and you fucking did, so shut your god damned pie hole, sit the fuck down, and let the computer finish its job!" Then, realizing that she was making a rather spectacular spectacle of herself, she blushed bright red and backed up slowly to her bed. Then, muttering petulantly under her breath, "At least he's quiet now, right?"

Zim had nothing to say to that. He was currently in awed, slack-jawed silence. Taking this as unspoken agreement with Bria's words, the computer quickly got to work repairing the other alien's damaged body. The spy was quiet. He seemed to realize he wasn't in immediate danger yet and promptly collapsed on the bed, falling into an exhausted healing sleep. Shaking his head, Zim turned back to the blue-eyed alien, a little annoyed that the female worm-baby had so clearly defied him.

"Zim, let the computer take care of him for a little bit. These two need rest. _You_ need rest. That guy almost took out your arm; you're lucky it only grazed you." Dib put a hand on the Irken's shoulder and the red-eyed alien sighed, slumping slightly in his standing position. The human was right, damn him. "C'mon, go to bed. I'll meet you there in a few minutes to talk with you, ok?" He swallowed heavily, looking away for a long moment. "I have… I have to tell you something."

Zim looked a little confused for a moment, then nodded haltingly before walking out mechanically of the Med-Wing. Running a hand through his black hair, Dib sighed. Today was going to be longer than he had ever expected.

"Bria." The girl sat up, eyes sparkling with confusion and pain at the sudden movement. The other human walked over hesitantly, than sighed and sat down heavily on the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry about all this. I know Zim seems really conceited and whatever—"

"I'll say." Bria muttered mutinously, but then shut up at the glare she received.

"I know that you think he did this to spite you or something, or to get you back for knowing his secret. But it's not like that. Zim could've destroyed either of us more than six million times by now, in any manner of ways. Actually, your surgery… Well, it's the first nice thing he's done for someone, that I've seen so far.

"So don't be _too_ harsh with him, ok? He's hurting right now."

"Dib, did you know what he was going to do?" Bria didn't sound angry or hateful anymore, just… tired. Tired and weak and not sure what to think of anything anymore.

"No, but I heard all about it afterwards. He really did make you better, Brianne. Don't be too mean, ok?" Patting her hand absent-mindedly, he stood to leave.

"Wait!" She grabbed his wrist with feeble strength and looked up, expression emitting a determination that hadn't been there before. Turning around, Dib was surprised to see tears glistening in her earth-brown eyes and a mulish set to her mouth. "Tell him I'm sorry, ok? And that he's forgiven as long as I get to do some exercise and shit down here. I've lost all of my muscle and that kinda pisses me off, but I realize why he did it, I guess." She looked away for a moment, then back up, seemingly still on guard. "And tell him that he better explain everything, _in full_, the next time he comes down to visit." Letting go of his wrist, she was a little upset at how weak she seemed to be at the moment.

"Got it. Watch after this wack-job over here for a while, yeah? If he tries to escape, just call on the computer. Zim programmed to listen to you during times of emergency and if it seems to be vital to the survival to all of us in the house." With a wink, he disappeared behind a black swirl of fabric and a swishing silver door.

Bria watched, shoulders slumping dejectedly. She didn't _mean_ to be angry with Zim. It had… just kind of escaped her, somehow. Mahogany eyes turned to the body on the other bed and she rolled her eyes at the other boys' inconsiderate lack of blankets. The poor alien was shivering. "Hi, uh… C-computer?"

"What, little human?" Came the bored voice from the walls. "Don't bother me unless you really need me."

"Well, uh, _I_ don't need anything, but… Well… C-can you get some blankets for the patient?... O-or something?"

"Right away." A tumble of blankets fell on the ground by her bed. "I hope you are well enough to treat him. It's not my problem anymore."

"You're an asshat." She grumbled, thought not really irritated. Sighing in defeat, she gingerly stepped off her bed again, trying to keep her balance (as she was used to shifting it differently to stay upright, when there was more of her to shift.) Kneeling down to grab a few comforters, she almost tipped over. Hurriedly standing back up, she put a hand to her aching head, wondering how being dizzy had suddenly become so… so _painful_! She quickly shoved the thought aside and stumbled over awkwardly to the patient, her hard-earned prizes (comforters) in hand.

"You poor thing…" Bria murmured sympathetically, hauling a blanket up (it took almost all of her strength to do so) and pulling it over the naked green body. It was purely clinical at that moment, but she realized that he seemed to not have any genital organs at all. Not even nipples! _How strange_, she thought absently, throwing another comforter over his shivering body, _I wonder if all aliens are like that?_ Blushing a horrendous shade of red, she quickly banished the thought from her mind and tucked the patient in.

"Well, you're not that bad looking for an alien, I 'spose… We don't even know your name, poor little guy." She rubbed the top of his head softly, fussing over him as if he was _her_ patient and not Zim's.

"I'm not little." A voice suddenly rasped and she gasped, startled, as two aqua-colored eyes opened blearily. "And stop being so sympathetic, human. It's giving me a sugar-ache in my teeth."

"I… oh, I-I'm sorry…" Bria stumbled over the words, seemingly lost for them. Breathless chuckles were her answer and she flushed an even darker shade of scarlet. "Um, s-so, what should I call you, then?"

"I'm not give you my name unless you give me yours." He grumbled, his voice seeming to be an essence of tumbling earth and gravel. He rolled those beautiful eyes of his, seemingly annoyed. "And it better be your real one, not a fake one."

"I'm Bria." She responded as quickly as she could, eager to please. "Well, my full name is Brianne Tyler, but… but mostly, everyone calls me Bria." Then, she blurted out, "Your antenna are so cute!" Thin hands clapped them across her mouth and she squeaked, eyes widening in horror at her nonsensical sentence. A pair of aquamarine orbs looked down at her, clearly questioning her sanity. "I… I'm sorry." She apologized from between her fingers, squeaking again in her embarrassment. Then, the most unexpected reaction came from the patient.

He began to laugh, loud and long, as if he had not laughed for many months. For him, it seemed to be like breaking the surface of the water he had submerged himself in after being under to the point where he completely ran out of oxygen. At his reaction, Bria slowly began to giggle, then joined in the laughter, knowing from past experience that sometimes a person just has to laugh at herself.

"You are very clearly the strangest, most lunatic human I've ever met." He said a short time later, breathless and eyes closed. After asking for a chair from the computer (and get a grumbling response, plus a recliner, in response), Bria was seated next to him, elbows resting on the low-seated table and eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Tell me, girl, where are we?" She snorted.

"Oh no, you still owe me your name." Rolling her eyes at his sudden tensing, she said, "I'll tell you where we are and then you tell me what I can call you, ok? Dib kept babbling about you being Prisoner 462 or something, but that's obviously not a name. I don't really give a crap about why you're here, I just… I dunno." She looked away, frustrated that she couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence and get her ideas across.

"That seems a fair deal, human. You explain where we are and I shall give you my name."

"Promise?" She asked, blushing at the thought of such a childish remark passing through her traitorous mouth.

"I promise on my pride as a member of the Irken race."

"Some pride that is." She muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes, then sighing. "All right then, 'proud member of the Irken race,' let it be my great pleasure in introducing you to the great and almighty Zim-the-Irken-Invader's secret base, or lair, or whatever he calls it these days. For some strange reason or another, Zim and his luuurve-monkey—"She giggled at Gir's exact description of what Dib was to the ex-Invader before continuing, "seemed to save you from wherever you were. Not that you have to explain where you were," She added, seeing a frown cross his features and mistaking it for him not wanting to tell his story. "I just wanted to tell you what's going on."

"Zim? The defect, Zim?" He demanded, suddenly coming to life.

"If you call him that again, I'll get the computer to knock you out." She said, instantly reviving her own determination. "He is the smartest individual I've ever met and certainly not defective. No, don't argue with me," She cut in when he opened his mouth to most _definitely_ argue. "If you say one more word about Zim's competency as a person, I won't explain anything else."

"Fine." He snapped, looking for all the world like a petulant child told that he could not have cookies for dinner. Rolling her eyes, she playfully swatted his hand that was currently hidden under the blankets.

"I'd tell you about me, but I'm not really all that important. I think _someone_ owes me a name here." Bria grinned suddenly. "I won't tell you anything else until you tell me your name." A sigh of resignation was her answer.

"Alright, human, as long as you promise not to make any more comments on my antenna." Satisfied with the tickle-me-pink blush crossing her cheeks for what might've been the fifth or sixth time that day (she was easily embarrassed, after all), he continued, "My name is Jin Kade, spy for the Almighty Tallest Red and Purple."

"Nice to meet you, Jin Kade." She quipped. And then, unable to help herself, she added, "And your antenna _are_ rather cute, you know. Zim wouldn't let me poke his." A mischievous glint entered her eyes. "May I poke yours, please?"

Jin sighed, the air whooshing out of his lungs loudly. _I should have stayed asleep if everyone in this house is as insane as this girl…_

* * *

"Zim?" Dib asked softly, entering the room silently just in case the alien had fallen asleep. Instead, he heard the soft whisper of a shower coming from the adjoining bathroom. Sighing, he sat down heavily on the bed, rubbing his temples tiredly. Today had turned into his own personal hell. Seeing what his own race was capable of, and what he had threatened to do to Zim multiple times, made him feel sick and nauseous all over again. Not to mention that he hadn't eaten for most of the day, anyways. A snack bar and a bottle of Vitamin Water wasn't enough to keep _anyone_ energized.

He thought of all the times he'd told Zim he was going to cut the alien open and reveal his organs to the world, and instantly wanted to take it all back, if he could. And it was in this turmoil of sinking into his childhood that a memory of something that he didn't know was there appeared in his mind.

"_You know that we'll have to forget everything before we go back, right?"_

"_Yes, human, I am rather aware of this. But promise me that, even though things will surely go back to the way they were, that you will remember how it feels to hold my hand."_

"_You know I'd promise if I could, Zim. I've always… wanted to hold someone's hand like this. And your fingers seem to be so perfect for my own… Even if it's only subconsciously, I'll remember, I promise, Zim…"_

Dib shook his head suddenly, surprised at this "memory." When had _that_ happened?!

_The time space continuum_. A voice whispered in the back of his mind. _You were thrust into another world, although you don't remember. The people who lived in that alternate universe didn't want you do remember who they were, but when you begged for them to let you remember that promise, they agreed. They're memory removal was very effective, though, so… enjoy your one memory…_

"I… wha-?" He said out loud, feeling _very_ confused. Shaking his head and deciding that he didn't care about this strange "other world" from his "memory" and chalking it up to being completely crazy, Dib reflected on the day's events again.

"Dib? Why are you still awake?"

Dib's heart stopped in his chest for one achingly painful moment.

Zim was standing in the doorway, wearing an over-large t-shirt and a pair of baggy sweat pants, his apparent "comfortable clothes." His expression was puzzled and vulnerable. The effect was so blisteringly _cute_ that Dib almost had a nosebleed at the very _sight_. Not to mention that Zim had managed to say the human's name without any mockery attached. _Oh my God_, he thought as the alien sat next to him and looked worried at his apparent lack of sanity. _Is this what it feels like to be a perverted old man? Oh my GOD, _am _I a perverted old man? Oh my God…_

"I, uh, well, I was waiting for you to g-get back." A tiny part of his mind began to swear at his inarticulate answer and the other part was making him blush bright red at the incredulous expression on the Irken's face.

"I… see." Rolling his eyes (they were ruby red, the disguise taken away for the night), he said, "You said you had something to discuss with me?" It didn't escape Dib's notice that the other seemed to be sitting farther from him than normal and he swallowed heavily, wondering if the damage was already done.

"I… Zim, I…" Hurriedly, without thinking, he picked up three-fingered hands in his own and looked up with shining eyes. "Zim, I just… I wanted you to know that… that… I've been wrong for years." He blurted out suddenly, and wasn't surprised to see that Zim was just as shocked as he was with the non-sequitar. "At least, about some things, when it comes to you. I'm sorry for how I acted as a kid, always saying that I would… that I would cut you open and… And… Well, I just… I wanted you to know that that's not _me_ anymore, that I could never, _ever_ do that to you and… and…" He swallowed hard, looking away in disgust at his own mind. "I'm just sorry for everything. I was wrong to say such things to you, because beings with sentient thought shouldn't have to go through that kind of torture just because they aren't _human_."

The silence in the room was thick and hot, like custard sitting in the sun on a blistering August evening. They didn't move for so long that Dib was afraid that Zim would jerk away suddenly in his haste to get away from the disgusting past.

Instead, after waiting for the human's heart beat to calm, the alien followed the instincts his human hormones pumped into his veins and folded the boy into his arms. "Dib, I do not believe such cruelty exists in you." He whispered, as the human fell gratefully into the embrace, hugging back tightly. "Perhaps as a child, young and stupid as you were, you might have. But not now. And I was wrong to flinch away from you today. Zim knows you better than _that_."

"Did you just admit you were wrong about something, Zim?" Dib said, trying to lighten the mood just a bit, leaning back and holding the alien's hands in his own again, dark gold eyes sparkling like star dust. "That should go into the Guiness World Record books, 2008. 'Zim first admitted he was wrong about something—'"

"Don't get used to it, human." Zim replied loftily, pretending to glare. "Now go change into pajamas and come to bed. I'm allowing five minutes and then I'm going to sleep, with or without you. Being shot at makes me tired."

"And grumpy."

"Five minutes. Starting now. Go."

"_Yes sir_, Master Zim. You know, I'm beginning to like this dominant side of you—"

"_Change_, earth-monkey, or I'm making you sleep in the guest bedroom again."

* * *

A/N: Well, there you go! I revealed the spy, yes? Well, this was kind of a filler chapter and I'm glad I got to show off some of Bria's strange bi-polar mood swings. Because she _is _rather bi-polar, although that'll come out more later in the story. Also! On my deviant art (username: Eire-Luhvfyre), I have posted a profile and a picture of Bria (well, not a _real_ picture, but one of my friends agreed to be the model before the story began, so... There ya go!) So if you want to know more about that psycho of a girl, Brianne, head on over and take a look. I'd be posting the story there but... I have no idea how to make the italics and the bold to work, so... Fanfiction. net works until I can get it up there, too!

Now, as to the next chapter: I'm not sure when I'll find the time to write it, but it will _not_ be another seven-month-long wait. So please forgive me for the long time without updating! -dies from embarrassment and guilt- So, send me your best death threats to get me motivated into writing my next chapter sooner! Whoever writes the best one gets the next chapter dedicated to them -laughs- So go for it!!

EDIT: I forgot to mention! The little bit about the time space continuum... Well, I'm planning a small-chaptered fic for _that_ particular explanation. As much as I hate crossover fics, I'm going to do one and throw Zim and Dib into the Harry Potter universe. Just because I think it would be fun to watch Harry and Draco suffer it out with an alien and a crazy kid. Oh, and for Harry and Draco, and Zim and Dib, to fall in love. Yup, I'm a H/D slasher. D'you hate me enough yet? -laughs-

Love the authoress who needs to get her ass in bed,

Teya


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